Lionel Messi is approaching the World Cup in peak form. Might he finally win the one major trophy that’s always eluded him?
Having endured a relatively subdued debut campaign with PSG, which led to being left off the Ballon d’Or shortlist for the first time since 2005, Messi has started the 2022-23 campaign on fire.
Regarded by many as the greatest player of all time, there’s an argument that he remains the best player in the world – and the numbers in recent months certainly make for a strong case.
“I feel good, physically,” Messi recently revealed in an interview with Star+.
“I had a good preseason this year, which I wasn’t able to do the year before [when he moved from Barcelona to PSG]. It was key to starting off better, as I did, with a lot of mental focus and eagerness.”
Messi won the Copa America last summer, which led to a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or. But some questioned whether that was his final bow at the very top of the game, having struggled to stand out in a first season after his sorrowful exit from Barcelona.
Yet he still helped PSG regain their Ligue 1 crown, registered a reasonable number of assists, and got better as the season went on, and suffering a physical impact after contracting coronavirus.
But there’s no questioning Messi this year. He scored and registered two assists in a 3-0 victory over AC Ajaccio, leaving his coach to wax lyrical about the football he’s producing.
“I say it often, but he is one of the best players in the history of football. He loves to play for others, has a great relationship with the ball and he is very selfless,” said Christoph Galtier.
“Tonight he was both very generous with his passes, especially from deep, and magnificent on the second goal. I always tell people to come to the stadium when players like him are on the field, because when they’re gone, everyone will miss them.”
Here are 12 of the most impressive statistics that underline just how good Messi is right now.
– Messi has made 17 appearances for club and country this season. He’s failed to register a goal or an assist in just three of those appearances.
– Across those 17 appearances for PSG and Argentina, the 35-year-old has notched 13 goals and 10 assists. That averages out as 1.35 direct contributions to goal for every appearance so far this season.
– No player in Europe’s top five leagues has registered more assists than Messi. He’s notched nine from 11 appearances in Ligue 1….
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