Have a spare 45 minutes?

If so, check out this documentary on Lionel Messi. Even if you aren't a soccer fan, you probably have still heard of Messi. He's the best player in the world and possibly the greatest of all time.



Even if you don't watch the entire video, just watch a couple clips so you can see why Messi is so great. Watch Messi as a little boy playing (1:20, 2:20), then as a youth (9:20) and then compare them to some of his clips as a pro. There are various throughout the video, but the most impressive in my opinion is the one at 28:45. It shows first of all how fast the game is on the professional level. Something you don't always see or appreciate when you are watching it on TV. But it's also remarkable because these are the best players in the world and Messi is running through them just like he did as a kid and a youth. Many kids and youth dominate the opposition and are talented at a young age. But eventually the other kids mature or the competition catches up with them and the playing field levels. Sure, some players are always a little bit better, but Messi has stayed an entire level above even the highest competition. It's really amazing and something only a handful of players in the history of all sports have been able to do.

For awhile there was a debate about who is the best player in the world right now, but like I said Messi has sort of put that discussion to bed and it has moved to whether he is the greatest of all time. What is amazing about that discussion isn't just the fact that you can legitimately compare Messi to the godlike figures of Pele and Maradona, but that Messi is only 24 years old. He has at least 6 more years of his prime left in him. Without offending the gods, it is possible that when Messi retires there won't even be a debate.

Anyways, even if you aren't a soccer fan, it's worth paying attention to Messi, even if just casually. He's the Michael Jordan of soccer. If you had no interest in basketball you would have at least appreciated someone pointing out Jordan and watching some of his games because as a human you can't help but enjoy watching someone perfect and dominate their craft (sort of like watching Mondo on Project Runway).

The only downside to Messi is that he plays for Barcelona, which happen to be the rivals of Real Madrid. I do think that Madrid might be closing the gap on Barcelona and as a team, might soon be able to beat Barcelona. But that is a post for another time, and probably another blog.