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#4 Mentality
Despite having young competitors with extremely high potential such as Neymar JR, what sets Lionel Messi apart from the moment is his mentality. The Barcelona star has had years of glory at the top level and has been through all different type of moments that a footballer can experience.
Messi has enough composure to retain his calmness during the big games, and not get lured into any sort of altercation with the opposition. To put things into perspective, the footballing genius has represented Barcelona on more than 500 occasions and wore Argentina's shirt in 118 matches. Having won all possible cups with the Catalans, Messi maintains the hunger of a 20-year old with his impeccable attitude of never skipping training and trying to surpass himself every single season.
At the same time, Leo has the experience of a veteran. Not losing his temper nor his concentration, have been essential factors in helping Messi stay at top level. Talent alone is not always enough, but when you merge footballing abilities with excellent attitude, this is when you reach excellence, which Barça's number ten no doubt is.
