#2 Lionel Messi
Messi kind of had a “down” year last season, scoring only 26 times, but the little maestro was out of the game for quite some time through injury. He was strong when he came and donned the role of provider for the likes of Suarez and Neymar.
The Argentine, like Suarez, notched up 16 assists, but what makes Messi even more dangerous this season is that he’s hurting. Argentina did display some amazing football at the Copa America, but fell short once again to Chile in the penalties, as they lost out in a crunch penalty shootout. The pressure of a title win was immense as they qualified for multiple finals but always fell one short.
Messi retired from international football following the loss and he was certainly hurting, but that takes nothing away from his unreal talent. He was not a 100% fit but still was pivotal in Argentina’s run to the finals. Come the next season, he will look to put the past behind and prove his class once again- not that we need any more proof.
