There have been dozens of stellar soccer players over the years, from David Beckham to Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane. But Lionel Messi is often referred to as the GOAT or “Greatest Of All Time.”
And there are plenty of reasons and records to support that title. Messi kicked off his professional soccer career at 17 with FC Barcelona, and his game and popularity have only grown since.
So, what really makes Messi the GOAT? Here are five reasons.
1. He led Argentina to its third World Cup title
Argentina has long been regarded as one of the best football teams in the world, but it struggled to bring home a third World Cup title. The last time Messi’s home country won a title was in 1986, the year before Messi was born.
It was a long time coming, but all of that changed in 2022 when Messi finally got to hoist the World Cup trophy.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was the 38-year-old’s fifth tournament appearance and was expected to be Messi’s final dance on the big stage after leaving empty-handed in four World Cups, including a final heartbreak in 2014.
During the 2022 tournament, Messi scored seven goals and three assists. Two goals came against France in the World Cup final, which ended 3-3 after extra time.
Argentina eventually won the penalty shootout 4-2, with Messi scoring one of the PKs, and the rest is history.
2. He’s an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner
Messi holds the record for most Ballon d’Or wins by a man, with eight. The highly coveted award is given to the player judged to be the best in the world over the previous European season.
The Ballon d’Or is presented by the French magazine France Football and is considered to be “one of the most prestigious individual honors in world football,” according to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Per The Sporting News, only 10 players have claimed multiple Ballon d’Or awards since its inception in 1956.
It also appears Messi’s record won’t be broken anytime soon, as Cristiano Ronaldo trails him with five wins (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017).
Here’s a look at Messi’s Ballon d’Or wins:
Need we say more about the GOAT argument?
3. Messi has been a contributing factor to soccer’s popularity rise in the US
Messi’s star power transcended to the United States when he joined Florida’s soccer club, Inter Miami CF, in July 2023. It was Messi’s second club team as he played for FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2021.
Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team and former Argentina international defender, attributed the increased popularity at the club level to Messi in an interview with soccer magazine FourFourTwo.
“(Messi has) been fundamental to football’s development (in the U.S.),” Pochettino told FourFourTwo. “He’s a benchmark for the players who face him in MLS, as they discover what it means to truly compete. They challenge themselves to figure out how to stop him, and that helps them grow.”
Following the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, MLS reported a 5% increase in attendance over the previous year, with a league-wide total of 11.45 million, according to ESPN. That’s a 14% increase over 2022.
During the 2024 season, two matches exceeded 70,000 fans and five matches exceeded 50,000, per ESPN. In an April 2024 match, 72,610 fans filled Arrowhead Stadium to watch Messi and Inter Miami CF play Sporting Kansas City.
Additionally, 10 teams set or exceeded attendance records, and there were a record 213 sellouts.
“(Messi has) definitely helped put us in front of a global audience, and he’s definitely piqued the interest of sports fans in our country,” Chris McGowan, head of the club performance and optimization group at MLS, told ESPN. “Our clubs have done an unbelievable job of taking advantage of that and understanding that players don’t play forever. We have the best ever playing in our league, so we got to be on our toes to be able to take advantage of it.”
4. His play and longevity
Messi is one of only two players to score over 100 goals in UEFA club competitions, but that’s only the beginning of his esteemed accolades since making his professional soccer debut in 2004 with FC Barcelona.
In La Liga, a professional association football league in Spain, Messi holds the record for most goals (474) and most Liga goals in a single season (50), most Liga hat-tricks (36) and most Liga titles won by a foreign player, with 10.
Messi has also thrived on the international stage, as he is one of just three players to have registered 100 men’s international goals.
Here’s a look at some of his international records, per the UEFA.
5. He continuously has fans rush the field to meet him
Having fans rush the playing field isn’t what determines GOAT status, but it definitely helps. And in Messi’s case, it’s happened more than once since playing in the US.
On May 13, a fan stormed the field at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium and was photographed holding hands with Messi before being escorted off by security. Other occurrences include back-to-back incidents at Arrowhead Stadium in April 2024 and during a Columbus Crew game in Columbus on Oct. 2, 2024.
Messi could be seen talking and even taking pictures with the fans who stormed the field.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lionel Messi is often called the GOAT. 5 reasons why fans think so
Reporting by Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
