New Delhi: The best footballer in the world is in India. Lionel Messi is in India.
Here. Now.
Take a minute and let those words sink in. Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it?
It's hard to explain to non-football fans the rush of excitement and euphoria that a chance to see Messi in action brings. Imagine if Sachin Tendulkar hadn't been born in India. Imagine if you could only watch him play on television. Imagine never getting even so much as an opportunity to see him live on the field. And then imagine, if one day your wildest dream came true, and the 'God of Cricket' came to play in your city!
As in cricket, in the football circles too there is plenty of debate over who the greatest player of all time is. But there is no doubt now that Lionel Messi is the best of our generation, and by some distance. He can no longer be compared to contemporaries like Cristiano Ronaldo, as successful as the Portuguese has been. Instead, the debate is now over his place among the pantheon of all-time greats, such as Pele and Diego Maradona.
The list of his achievements is so long, the mind boggles! Since making his debut in the 2004-05 season and becoming the then-youngest player to ever score a league goal for Barcelona, Messi has gone from strength to strength. In the past three seasons, he has scored 138 goals in 159 games for his club, the fulcrum of an all-conquering side that amassed 11 trophies in that time, including three league titles and two Champions League crowns. He has an El Clasico hat-trick to his name, besides scoring in both the Champions League finals. And who can forget his goal against Getafe in 2007, which was similar to Maradona's famous strike - the ‘Goal of the Century’ - against England in the 1986 World Cup?
Last season, Messi became the first player to score 50 goals in a Spanish campaign, finishing with 53 goals in 55 games. The diminutive forward has begun this season in form as well. In four games so far, he already has six goals and two trophies (Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup). He is the youngest player to win the Ballon d'Or twice, besides winning a host of other awards confirming his status as the world's best player. Is there really a need to say more?
The joy derived from watching Messi's genius cannot be measured in mere numbers, though. He is easily the most breathtaking player on the field, inspiring awe with his vision, skill, intelligence, and, above all, creativity. His goals may get all the attention, but his control of the ball, his precise passes and valuable assists, his high-speed runs and turns that flummox even the best of defenders and his ability to do things with the ball that one would not imagine is even possible... Opponents can only admire the brilliance of the man who can change a game in a matter of seconds. Indeed, at times Messi is simply unstoppable!
If there is one thing that can possibly be held against the man who has already achieved everything possible with his club, it is his relative lack of success with the national side. A succession of managers have failed to get the best out of Messi at the international level, with Argentina making quarter-final exits in both the 2010 World Cup and the Copa America this year.
None of this will dampen the passionate fervour of fans in Kolkata though. Argentina, along with Brazil, are two of the most-supported teams in the 'City of Joy', and though it is 'just a friendly', there is a lot to look forward to. The match against Venezuela will be Messi's first as captain of Argentina and also the first for new coach Alejandro Sabella. Several other top players and familiar names will also be in action, including Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel di Maria and Javier Mascherano.
All eyes, though, will be on the 5'7" Argentine. In a cricket-dominated country, it is almost beyond belief that football fans have a chance to see one of the finest footballers in an international game, that too in his prime. The anticipation is almost unbearable!
He has been called a "genius" by Maradona, a "sensation" by Johan Cruyff and a "PlayStation footballer" by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. It is now our chance to witness Messi's magic and brilliance.
The best footballer in the world is here. India and Kolkata are ready!
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