The GOAT and FC Barcelona

I first saw Messi playing football in highlight reels around 2011/2012. God bless sports TV channels and their endless narrative driven compilations. Until this point, Wayne Rooney was my favourite footballer (courtesy of witnessing his spectacular overhead kick against Man City on live TV), I also sort of recreated a bicycle kick with him in FIFA 10 and trust me, being able to do the same thing as your heroes, while 'being' them, albeit in a video game, is a uniquley strong feeling.

But, despite all of that, to this impressionable young mind, the quality of Lionel Messi was evidently apparent. The more I watched him effortlessly weave past defenders, the more I watched Barca steamroll their opponents. I was simply sucked in. It was nothing short of magic, how this complex game was laid bare open at the feet of this otherwordly alien. While the whole world tried to grasp at the secret at the heart of the beautiful game, this man seemed to be in the know.

The little man also somehow seemed very relatable. He was not built like a typical athlete. He worked hard and was just so humble. Despite his talent and status, arrogance somehow never found his address.