Over the last decade, Lionel Messi has established himself as the greatest footballer of all times. And, last Wednesday, when Barcelona scripted their amazing comeback victory, he once again showed the world just how great he is.
It is not only his skills or his incredible goal-scoring feats that make him great, but also the fact that he is humble enough to realise that someone else had been better than him on the night. And he has not hesitated to let that player take the crucial penalty. Therein lies his legacy.
Also read: Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo in Fifa and PES: Who is the best in virtual world?
When it was announced that Messi was no longer the highest-rated player in FIFA 17 and, in fact, arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo had taken on the mantle, it caused a minor stir. Messi’s fanbase could not believe that he had been rated behind Ronaldo.
Not that it mattered to the little Argentine, though. He has other things to worry about, such as helping his team to chase down Real Madrid in the La Liga title race and win the Champions League. Being the second-best player in a video game does not really matter to him and earning an overall rating of 93 out of a maximum 100 is not such a bad achievement.
Especially, when you take into consideration the rating Messi had earned in FIFA 06. It was the first time that the left-footed playmaker had been included in the game and his overall rating stood at a meagre 78. But as in real-life, he has progressed in the game as well.
So much so, that from FIFA 10 to FIFA 16, for seven consecutive years, he was the top-rated player in the game. His journey in FIFA, the video game franchise, has been well documented in the YouTube video on top. The video mainly focuses on how his facial features and ratings have increased over the years.
Also read: Stats: Players rated highest most number of times in EA Sports' FIFA
After starting out with an average rating in FIFA 06, his rating has increased by leaps and bounds ever since. In FIFA 07, Messi’s overall rating got a massive boost from the previous instalment as he was rated 84. FIFA 08 saw him climb up to 86 but it wasn’t until FIFA 09 that he breached the 90-mark. Since then, he has never looked back.
