WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 Welcome back to the deep dive. Today we are attempting 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:06.219 something truly monumental. Yeah, this is a big 00:00:06.219 --> 00:00:08.960 one. We're not just summarizing a career. We 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:12.279 are trying to decode the greatest, most statistically 00:00:12.279 --> 00:00:15.539 staggering and, you know, arguably the most culturally 00:00:15.539 --> 00:00:18.039 resonant career in the entire history of football. 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:21.339 We are diving deep into the world of Lionel Messi. 00:00:21.500 --> 00:00:24.140 And when you use words like monumental and staggering, 00:00:24.339 --> 00:00:26.620 you are not exaggerating at all. The source material 00:00:26.620 --> 00:00:29.199 you've shared, this just vast collection of statistics, 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:32.380 anecdotes, professional history. It's not just 00:00:32.380 --> 00:00:36.179 a biography. It's more like a ledger. sustained 00:00:36.179 --> 00:00:40.039 high -level sporting dominance that is frankly 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:43.479 unprecedented in team sports absolutely so our 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:46.520 mission today is a bit challenging we need to 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:48.700 distill the essence of this monumental body of 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:51.179 work you know the goals the assists the trophies 00:00:51.179 --> 00:00:53.240 the tactical evolutions and the dramatic cultural 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:55.859 shifts right we need to get to the core narrative 00:00:55.859 --> 00:00:58.679 arcs that truly define his legacy We need to 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:00.939 understand not just what he won but how he reinvented 00:01:00.939 --> 00:01:03.140 the game and how even as he's approaching his 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:05.680 40s, he's still setting records in a new league. 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:08.819 And to ground the listener immediately in the 00:01:08.819 --> 00:01:11.120 sheer scale of this, we just have to start with 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:14.079 the stats. Agreed. The numbers look less like 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:17.060 career totals and more like... Like typos? I 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:19.519 agree. Let's hit the listener with that statistical 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.540 snapshot right away. What does the trophy cabinet 00:01:22.540 --> 00:01:25.439 and the record book actually look like for Lionel 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:28.459 Messi? OK, so the individual accolades are where 00:01:28.459 --> 00:01:31.540 he first separates himself. He has secured a 00:01:31.540 --> 00:01:35.269 record eight Ballon d 'Or awards. Eight. Which 00:01:35.269 --> 00:01:38.209 might never be matched. It probably won't. And 00:01:38.209 --> 00:01:40.709 he paired that with six European golden shoes. 00:01:41.189 --> 00:01:43.909 Then you look at team success and he is officially 00:01:43.909 --> 00:01:46.430 the most decorated player in professional football 00:01:46.430 --> 00:01:50.269 history, holding a record 46 major team trophies. 00:01:50.290 --> 00:01:52.430 The 46 team trophies. I mean, just to put that 00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:54.569 in perspective, the vast majority of legendary 00:01:54.569 --> 00:01:56.950 footballers, they retire having won maybe 15, 00:01:57.090 --> 00:01:59.510 maybe 20 if they're lucky. Right. 46 implies 00:01:59.510 --> 00:02:02.870 two decades of just nonstop winning, both domestically 00:02:02.870 --> 00:02:05.489 and internationally. Exactly. And that trophy 00:02:05.489 --> 00:02:08.030 count is directly supported by his staggering 00:02:08.030 --> 00:02:11.870 offensive output. He has scored over 890 senior 00:02:11.870 --> 00:02:14.870 career goals. But crucially, he isn't just a 00:02:14.870 --> 00:02:18.169 finisher. He is the ultimate creator. He's provided 00:02:18.169 --> 00:02:21.349 over 400 assists for club and country. Which 00:02:21.349 --> 00:02:23.590 is the most of any player in history. The most 00:02:23.590 --> 00:02:25.590 of any player. And when you combine those two 00:02:25.590 --> 00:02:28.889 numbers, you get over 1300 goal contributions. 00:02:29.050 --> 00:02:31.509 That's the highest total in the sports history. 00:02:31.870 --> 00:02:33.949 Period. And that dual threat, you know, being 00:02:33.949 --> 00:02:36.009 the scorer and the creator, that is the absolute 00:02:36.009 --> 00:02:38.389 foundation of his greatness, but it's so often 00:02:38.389 --> 00:02:40.560 overlooked in the goal count race. It is. His 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.159 ability to both score and facilitate has defined 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:45.879 his utility across multiple eras and systems. 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:49.060 And just to sort of seal the deal on his historical 00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:52.319 standing, in 2025, his status was definitively 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:54.560 reinforced when the IFFHS, that's the International 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:56.379 Federation of Football History and Statistics, 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:59.120 named him the all -time men's world best player. 00:02:59.259 --> 00:03:01.180 We are discussing a career defined by sustained, 00:03:01.419 --> 00:03:03.419 world -beating performance across more than two 00:03:03.419 --> 00:03:06.180 decades. OK, so let's unpack this dominance by 00:03:06.180 --> 00:03:09.289 going back to the very beginning. We need to 00:03:09.289 --> 00:03:12.090 go back to the source of the magic, Rosario Argentina, 00:03:12.469 --> 00:03:15.650 and trace that path from the playground to the 00:03:15.650 --> 00:03:18.490 global stage. So Rosario, Santa Fe Province, 00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:22.949 June 24th, 1987. Messi grew up in a working class, 00:03:23.229 --> 00:03:26.349 profoundly football loving environment. His father, 00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:29.550 Jorge, was a steel factory manager who also coached 00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:31.870 him initially at the local club, Grandoli, when 00:03:31.870 --> 00:03:34.050 Leo was just four years old. Four years old. 00:03:34.189 --> 00:03:36.849 Yeah. Football wasn't just a pastime. It was 00:03:36.849 --> 00:03:39.169 it was the family language. He played constantly 00:03:39.169 --> 00:03:41.270 with his older brothers and cousins, and several 00:03:41.270 --> 00:03:43.110 of them went on to become professional footballers 00:03:43.110 --> 00:03:45.590 themselves. So it was just this intense, competitive 00:03:45.590 --> 00:03:48.439 immersion. from day one. From age four, it meant 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:50.500 the passion and the technical foundation were 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:53.060 just hardwired into him from the start. And there's 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:55.759 that deeply personal, really poignant detail 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:58.819 from his earliest days that directly relates 00:03:58.819 --> 00:04:01.759 to the trademark goal celebration we see after 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.699 every single one of his 890 plus goals. Isn't 00:04:04.699 --> 00:04:07.000 there? There is, and it's such a beautiful insight 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:09.780 into his early life. His primary early influence 00:04:09.780 --> 00:04:12.719 wasn't his father or his coaches, but his maternal 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:16.139 grandmother, Celia. She was the one who, despite 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:19.220 the skepticism of others, convinced his father 00:04:19.220 --> 00:04:22.259 to take him to his first trials and always accompanied 00:04:22.259 --> 00:04:24.379 him to training and matches when he was young. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:26.420 And she passed away when he was still quite young. 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.199 She did. She died shortly before his 11th birthday. 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:33.800 And ever since then, Messi, who is a devout Catholic, 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.560 he honors her after every single goal by looking 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.959 up and pointing to the sky. It's a small, consistent 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.620 reminder of the personal root of his professional 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:45.600 drive. So from that local club, Grandoli, the 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.019 talent was obviously undeniable. And he quickly 00:04:48.019 --> 00:04:50.899 moved to a recognized club, Newell's Old Boys. 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:53.379 And this is where he went from just a local prodigy 00:04:53.379 --> 00:04:56.720 to a sort of mythical youth talent. Absolutely. 00:04:56.779 --> 00:04:59.560 From age 7 to 13, he played for Newell's. scored 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:02.040 close to 500 goals playing as a member of this 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:04.519 legendary youth side known as the machine of 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:06.959 87 named for the year the players were born you 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:09.800 know if a machine of 87 yeah and they were by 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:12.060 all accounts, an essentially unbeatable team. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.620 His legend was already growing. He was so popular 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:17.740 that he even earned small amounts of money to 00:05:17.740 --> 00:05:19.980 entertain crowds at halftime during the first 00:05:19.980 --> 00:05:23.019 team's home games, just performing complex ball 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:26.240 tricks. Wow. Yeah. One of his youth coaches famously 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:28.839 remarked that he was so small and fragile, you'd 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.100 assume he couldn't play. But within seconds, 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:33.660 he realized he was born different, that he was 00:05:33.660 --> 00:05:36.379 a phenomenon. But that path to greatness was 00:05:36.379 --> 00:05:38.639 almost completely blocked by a medical crisis. 00:05:38.990 --> 00:05:40.970 when he was just 10 years old. And this is the 00:05:40.970 --> 00:05:42.870 critical turning point in his early narrative. 00:05:43.110 --> 00:05:45.629 At age 10, Messi was diagnosed with a growth 00:05:45.629 --> 00:05:49.620 hormone deficiency, or GHD. To achieve a normal 00:05:49.620 --> 00:05:52.240 stature and maintain an elite athletic career, 00:05:52.459 --> 00:05:54.860 he needed growth hormone therapy, which meant 00:05:54.860 --> 00:05:57.459 daily injections. And the treatment was incredibly 00:05:57.459 --> 00:06:00.319 expensive. Incredibly. At the time, it cost at 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.839 least a thousand pesos per month. That would 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:04.759 have been a massive financial burden on a working 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:06.560 class family. And the support they were promised 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.259 is never fully materialized. Correct. After two 00:06:09.259 --> 00:06:11.540 years, his father's health insurance ran out. 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:14.639 And Newell's old boys, the club that was benefiting 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:17.360 from his genius, had promised to contribute to 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:19.480 the club. cost. But they later reneged on that 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:22.040 promise. They only offered, you know, token amounts. 00:06:22.139 --> 00:06:24.459 So that betrayal left the family in an extremely 00:06:24.459 --> 00:06:27.740 precarious spot. It put his entire career on 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:30.100 the line. I mean, imagine being a 10 year old 00:06:30.100 --> 00:06:33.889 child told that. Your ability to grow, let alone 00:06:33.889 --> 00:06:36.430 play football, was tied to a drug that your family 00:06:36.430 --> 00:06:39.129 could no longer afford. The psychological impact 00:06:39.129 --> 00:06:42.370 must have been just immense. And before Europe 00:06:42.370 --> 00:06:44.370 even entered the picture, there was a critical 00:06:44.370 --> 00:06:46.810 near miss with one of Argentina's biggest clubs, 00:06:46.970 --> 00:06:50.300 River Plate. Yes. The Buenos Aires Giants, River 00:06:50.300 --> 00:06:53.100 Plate, were intensely interested after he scored 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:55.800 four goals at a trial. They not only wanted to 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:57.800 sign him, but offered to pay for his ongoing 00:06:57.800 --> 00:06:59.939 medical treatment. So what happened? Why didn't 00:06:59.939 --> 00:07:02.139 he go? This is where the bureaucratic friction 00:07:02.139 --> 00:07:05.100 became immense. Newell's refused to release his 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:07.509 player card. They just blocked the transfer entirely. 00:07:07.750 --> 00:07:10.189 And this political refusal forced the family 00:07:10.189 --> 00:07:12.649 to pivot internationally, relying on relatives 00:07:12.649 --> 00:07:15.089 in Catalonia to arrange a trial with Barcelona 00:07:15.089 --> 00:07:18.290 in September of 2000. Which sets the stage for 00:07:18.290 --> 00:07:20.709 arguably the most famous contract signing in 00:07:20.709 --> 00:07:23.329 the history of the sport. The paper napkin. The 00:07:23.329 --> 00:07:26.050 atmosphere in Barcelona was tense. The board 00:07:26.050 --> 00:07:28.310 was really hesitant about signing a foreign player 00:07:28.310 --> 00:07:30.629 so young, especially one with ongoing medical 00:07:30.629 --> 00:07:33.629 needs. But the club's director of football, Carls 00:07:33.629 --> 00:07:36.310 Rexach, he was adamant. He faced an ultimatum. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:39.139 Secure the boy now or lose him. And he didn't 00:07:39.139 --> 00:07:41.959 have any official paperwork on him. None. So 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:44.579 in the absence of official documents, and reportedly 00:07:44.579 --> 00:07:46.379 they were just having a meal at a tennis club 00:07:46.379 --> 00:07:49.339 on December 14, 2000, Rexak drew up and signed 00:07:49.339 --> 00:07:52.060 a contract on a paper napkin. And this document 00:07:52.060 --> 00:07:54.259 committing Barcelona to the deal and covering 00:07:54.259 --> 00:07:57.019 his medical costs, it literally secured Messi's 00:07:57.019 --> 00:07:59.560 future. A contract written on a paper napkin 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:02.959 that changed global football history. But even 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.720 after that dramatic guarantee, the initial days 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:08.300 in Spain were marked by intense difficulty and 00:08:08.300 --> 00:08:11.420 loneliness. They were incredibly tough. The family 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:14.720 relocated in February 2001, but that first year 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:18.079 was a punishing experience. Because of that transfer 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:20.540 conflict with Newell's, FIFA regulations meant 00:08:20.540 --> 00:08:22.759 Messi could only play in friendlies and local 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:25.939 Catalan league matches. It stalled his competitive 00:08:25.939 --> 00:08:27.660 development. But socially, it was even harder. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.839 It was. His mother and siblings eventually returned 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:33.360 to Rosario, leaving him with his father in Barcelona, 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:36.639 and he suffered terribly from homesickness. He 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:38.919 was so quiet and reserved that some of his new 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:41.980 teammates at La Masia Barcelona's academy, they 00:08:41.980 --> 00:08:44.620 initially thought he was mute. He persevered, 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:46.820 of course. He completed the growth hormone therapy 00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:49.879 and finally became eligible to play in all competitions. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:53.259 And that's when the talent just exploded. It 00:08:53.259 --> 00:08:55.679 did. He was enrolled in the RFEF in February 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:58.899 2002. And after completing his therapy at 14, 00:08:59.019 --> 00:09:00.919 he became an integral part of what the youth 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:03.919 coaches called the Baby Dream Team, playing alongside 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:06.799 players like Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Piquet. 00:09:07.230 --> 00:09:10.970 In his first full season, 2002 -03, he was the 00:09:10.970 --> 00:09:14.450 top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games. And the 00:09:14.450 --> 00:09:16.649 sources provide a really defining anecdote about 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:19.110 his sheer resilience during that period. The 00:09:19.110 --> 00:09:21.509 Partido de la Máscara, the match of the mask. 00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:24.129 It's a perfect microcosm of his entire career. 00:09:24.350 --> 00:09:27.009 In the Copa Catalunya final against Espanyol, 00:09:27.149 --> 00:09:30.049 Messi had a broken cheekbone. He was only allowed 00:09:30.049 --> 00:09:32.409 to start if he wore a plastic protective mask. 00:09:32.629 --> 00:09:34.629 Which he hated. Hated it. He was so hindered 00:09:34.629 --> 00:09:36.450 by it, it was obstructing his vision, that he 00:09:36.450 --> 00:09:38.529 just tore the mask off, tossed it aside, and 00:09:38.529 --> 00:09:40.909 played just 10 unprotected minutes before being 00:09:40.909 --> 00:09:43.450 substituted. In those 10 minutes, he scored two 00:09:43.450 --> 00:09:45.549 goals. With a broken face. With a broken face. 00:09:45.789 --> 00:09:48.129 That level of focus, aggression, and just sheer 00:09:48.129 --> 00:09:50.929 desire to play defined the path he was on. He 00:09:50.929 --> 00:09:52.870 also showed incredible loyalty at this early 00:09:52.870 --> 00:09:55.590 stage, turning down a major offer to remain at 00:09:55.590 --> 00:09:58.419 Barcelona. That's right. That same season, he 00:09:58.419 --> 00:10:01.600 turned down an offer from Arsenal. He decided 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:04.399 to remain loyal to Barcelona, unlike Pique and 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.700 Fabregas, who temporarily left for England. And 00:10:07.700 --> 00:10:10.159 this really foreshadowed his nearly two decades 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:13.500 of unwavering commitment to the club. That incredible 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:15.700 talent was finally acknowledged by the senior 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:18.799 squad. How did the veterans react when this, 00:10:18.899 --> 00:10:21.480 you know, 16 -year -old started training with 00:10:21.480 --> 00:10:24.080 them? The reaction was just shock. The veteran 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:27.179 French winger Ludovic Jouly called Messi an alien. 00:10:27.700 --> 00:10:30.299 Jouly recounted watching him train with the first 00:10:30.299 --> 00:10:32.600 team, noting that the senior players, these are 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:35.139 seasoned professionals, were deliberately kicking 00:10:35.139 --> 00:10:37.360 him all over the place, trying to intimidate 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:39.460 him. To sort of test him. Exactly. But he said 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:41.559 he just got up and kept on playing. He would 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:44.600 dribble past four players and score a goal. They 00:10:44.600 --> 00:10:46.580 just couldn't believe his combination of low 00:10:46.580 --> 00:10:48.820 center of gravity, strength, and raw pace with 00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:51.080 the ball. And the ultimate stamp of approval 00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:53.259 came from the man who was then Barcelona's biggest 00:10:53.259 --> 00:10:56.419 star, Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho immediately took 00:10:56.419 --> 00:10:58.519 Messi under his wing, calling him little brother. 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.399 And he made that famous, almost unbelievable 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:03.679 prediction to his teammates that the 16 -year 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:05.899 -old would eventually become an even better player 00:11:05.899 --> 00:11:08.980 than himself. And then Messi made his first team 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:11.879 debut in a friendly against Jose Mourinho's Porto 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:15.100 in November 2003, showing enough potential that 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:17.740 the transition was officially underway. So Messi 00:11:17.740 --> 00:11:19.980 officially made his La Liga debut in October 00:11:19.980 --> 00:11:24.679 2004 at age 17. The next 17 years would not just 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:26.919 define an era of global football, they would 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:29.059 rewrite the record books. Let's look at this 00:11:29.059 --> 00:11:32.120 Barcelona epoch in three defining phases, starting 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:34.740 with his initial rise to prominence. In the 2004 00:11:34.740 --> 00:11:37.399 -05 season, the progression was quick. He scored 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:40.240 his first senior goal in May 2005, famously assisted 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.820 by Ronaldinho, and was at the time the youngest 00:11:42.820 --> 00:11:45.639 ever scorer for the club. By his 18th birthday, 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:48.080 he signed a contract solidifying his status with 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:50.559 a massive release clause. And he won his first 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:53.139 La Liga title that season. He did, and the 2005 00:11:53.139 --> 00:11:56.379 -06 UEFA Champions League, though he deeply regretted 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:58.500 missing the final due to injury. And that regret, 00:11:58.700 --> 00:12:01.320 he said, really fueled his future drive. And 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:03.779 the unavoidable comparisons to Diego Maradona. 00:12:04.090 --> 00:12:07.129 began almost immediately, solidifying by 2007. 00:12:07.529 --> 00:12:11.230 Yes. By the 2006 -07 season, the comparisons 00:12:11.230 --> 00:12:13.929 became unavoidable because of two really astonishing 00:12:13.929 --> 00:12:16.970 goals. First, he scored a goal against Getafe 00:12:16.970 --> 00:12:19.809 that involved an incredibly long, winding run 00:12:19.809 --> 00:12:22.970 from midfield, a goal of just pure finesse and 00:12:22.970 --> 00:12:25.730 elegance. What a work of art. Truly. And then 00:12:25.730 --> 00:12:28.429 weeks later, he scored a more contentious handball 00:12:28.429 --> 00:12:31.480 goal against Espanyol. These two goals directly 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:34.059 mirrored Maradona's infamous goals against England 00:12:34.059 --> 00:12:37.120 in the 1986 World Cup, the goal of the century 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:39.980 and the hand of God. That parallelism instantly 00:12:39.980 --> 00:12:42.179 cemented the narrative of him being Maradona's 00:12:42.179 --> 00:12:44.840 successor. It did, though the weight of that 00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:46.659 comparison would create immense pressure for 00:12:46.659 --> 00:12:48.899 him later in his international career. The true 00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:51.019 dynasty, however, it really begins with the arrival 00:12:51.019 --> 00:12:54.240 of Pep Guardiola in 2008. This is the period 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.820 where Messi takes the number 10 shirt and undergoes 00:12:56.820 --> 00:12:58.960 the single biggest tactical transformation of 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:01.429 his career. Guardiola's arrival marked the start 00:13:01.429 --> 00:13:04.690 of Barcelona's golden age. Messi inherited the 00:13:04.690 --> 00:13:06.830 iconic number 10 shirt, but more importantly, 00:13:06.990 --> 00:13:09.769 he became the ultimate tactical weapon. Guardiola 00:13:09.769 --> 00:13:11.649 moved him from the right wing and deployed him 00:13:11.649 --> 00:13:14.929 centrally as the false nine. OK, let's dedicate 00:13:14.929 --> 00:13:17.289 some time to the false nine. This wasn't just 00:13:17.289 --> 00:13:19.529 a position change. It was a fundamental innovation 00:13:19.529 --> 00:13:23.029 that really changed how modern football is played. 00:13:23.830 --> 00:13:26.450 What were the mechanics of this system and why 00:13:26.450 --> 00:13:29.419 did it work so perfectly for Messi? It was revolutionary. 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:33.580 So a false nine is a center forward who doesn't 00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:35.919 stay high up on the defensive line. Instead, 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:39.240 he drops deep, almost into the attacking midfield 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:42.519 space. And Messi's genius was utilizing this 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:44.740 maneuver. When he dropped deep, he would pull 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:46.960 the opposing central defenders out of their organized 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.480 positions and into midfield. Creating a massive 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:51.860 vacuum behind them. A massive vacuum. And those 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:53.960 gaps were exploited by the rapid combination 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:56.419 play and three runs of his wingers, like Samuel 00:13:56.419 --> 00:13:59.039 Ato 'o initially and later Pedro or David Villa. 00:13:59.629 --> 00:14:01.909 but most effectively by the midfield maestros 00:14:01.909 --> 00:14:04.350 Xavi and Iniesta. So they would just exploit 00:14:04.350 --> 00:14:07.190 the channels Messi had created. Exactly. The 00:14:07.190 --> 00:14:08.950 system was designed to give the ball to the player 00:14:08.950 --> 00:14:11.049 with the best dribbling and passing vision in 00:14:11.049 --> 00:14:13.909 the most dangerous area of the field. Messi. 00:14:14.049 --> 00:14:16.809 It was built entirely around his unique combination 00:14:16.809 --> 00:14:20.190 of skills. And the results were instant and historic, 00:14:20.450 --> 00:14:22.509 far beyond anything the sport had seen before. 00:14:23.090 --> 00:14:26.080 Immediate and unprecedented. In that first season, 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.220 2008 -09, Barcelona achieved the first treble 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.139 in Spanish football history. That was then capped 00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:34.940 by the unprecedented sextuple later that year. 00:14:35.179 --> 00:14:37.559 And individually. Individually, Messi's output 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:40.299 just exploded, allowing him to claim four consecutive 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:43.980 Ballon d 'Or awards from 2009 through 2012. This 00:14:43.980 --> 00:14:46.440 level of, you know, recognition continuity was 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:48.759 previously just unheard of. The sheer volume 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:50.879 of goals during this period is where the term 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:53.620 statistical impossibility starts to feel appropriate. 00:14:54.539 --> 00:14:57.340 In the 2009 -10 season, he equaled the great 00:14:57.340 --> 00:15:00.200 Ronaldo's 47 -goal club record from the 90s. 00:15:00.220 --> 00:15:03.860 By March 2012, at just 24 years old, he became 00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:06.620 Barcelona's all -time top scorer, overtaking 00:15:06.620 --> 00:15:09.460 a 57 -year -old record. Even Guardiola seemed 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:11.679 bewildered by it, commenting that he felt sorry 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:13.440 for anyone trying to compete with Messi because 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:16.450 he was simply unique. And then we reach the absolute 00:15:16.450 --> 00:15:19.629 peak of this Mesa de Pendencia era, capped by 00:15:19.629 --> 00:15:22.850 his miraculous calendar year in 2012. 2012 stands 00:15:22.850 --> 00:15:25.110 as the most astonishing statistical season in 00:15:25.110 --> 00:15:27.970 football history. Messi set the all -time record 00:15:27.970 --> 00:15:30.169 for the most goals scored in a calendar year 00:15:30.169 --> 00:15:32.850 for club and country with 91 goals. How do you 00:15:32.850 --> 00:15:36.629 want? 91, shattering Gerd Müller's decades -old 00:15:36.629 --> 00:15:38.830 record. And then, of course, he secured his record, 00:15:38.990 --> 00:15:41.490 fourth consecutive Ballon d 'Or. So was there 00:15:41.490 --> 00:15:44.580 a consensus at the time that... this level of 00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:47.919 output was just unsustainable? Or was his tactical 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.320 role under Guardiola just that perfect? It was 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:54.559 both perfect and... Potentially unsustainable, 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:56.779 which leads us to this concept of messa dependencia. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:00.159 By the 2012 -13 season, his contributions were 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.840 so immense, over 40 % of the team's total goals, 00:16:02.940 --> 00:16:05.059 that opponents essentially realized if you stop 00:16:05.059 --> 00:16:07.299 Messi, you stop Barcelona. The tactical and psychological 00:16:07.299 --> 00:16:09.200 dependence on him. Completely. If he was injured 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:11.519 or just ineffective in a match, the team struggled 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:14.539 noticeably. It just proved his absolute centrality 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:17.659 to the entire project. So Guardiola left in 2012. 00:16:18.330 --> 00:16:21.049 How did the club sustain its dominance when Luis 00:16:21.049 --> 00:16:23.330 Enrique arrived a couple of years later? And 00:16:23.330 --> 00:16:25.269 how did the system change? Enrique's arrival 00:16:25.269 --> 00:16:28.750 in 2014 signaled another vital strategic shift. 00:16:29.009 --> 00:16:31.809 It was a move away from the rigid total possession 00:16:31.809 --> 00:16:35.370 philosophy of Guardiola's tiki -taka to a faster, 00:16:35.429 --> 00:16:38.649 more vertical, more transitional style. A style 00:16:38.649 --> 00:16:40.649 that maximized the attacking talent. Exactly. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.139 This was the birth of the MSN trio. The addition 00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:48.059 of Neymar in 2013 and Luis Suarez in 2014 created 00:16:48.059 --> 00:16:50.820 a terrifying front three. That partnership must 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:52.879 have been just electrifying to watch. It was 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:55.200 arguably the purest expression of attacking football 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.059 ever witnessed. They immediately began shattering 00:16:58.059 --> 00:17:00.399 Spanish goal scoring records, culminating in 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:02.940 an astonishing 122 goals in their first season 00:17:02.940 --> 00:17:05.759 together, 2014 -15. They were less reliant on 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.799 structured buildup and more on lightning fast 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.319 movement, interchange, and just individual brilliance. 00:17:10.700 --> 00:17:13.039 And this vertical shift led to another historic 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:15.880 team achievement. A truly historic one. They 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:18.099 clinched Barcelona's second continental treble 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:20.460 that season, making the club the first in history 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:23.299 to achieve this feat twice. Messi won his fifth 00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:27.079 Ballon d 'Or in 2016. The MSN trio finished their 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:30.039 three seasons together, having combined for 363 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:32.799 goals before Neymar departed for PSG in 2017. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:36.970 Wow. So is that original core retired? You know, 00:17:36.970 --> 00:17:40.690 Javi, Iniesta, and now Suarez was gone. Messi 00:17:40.690 --> 00:17:42.730 stepped into the leadership role for his final 00:17:42.730 --> 00:17:44.769 years at the club. He was named club captain 00:17:44.769 --> 00:17:47.549 in 2018 after Iniesta's departure, lifting his 00:17:47.549 --> 00:17:49.890 first trophy as captain that year. He secured 00:17:49.890 --> 00:17:53.289 his 10th La Liga title in 2018 -19. And despite 00:17:53.289 --> 00:17:55.809 the team around him weakening slightly, his individual 00:17:55.809 --> 00:17:58.509 scoring output remained just relentlessly consistent. 00:17:58.789 --> 00:18:01.009 Winning his sixth and seventh Golden Shoes. Exactly. 00:18:01.089 --> 00:18:03.490 He even set the club record for appearances with 00:18:03.490 --> 00:18:06.670 768, surpassing Javi, and won... a record -breaking 00:18:06.670 --> 00:18:08.930 eighth Pichichi de la Liga top scorer trophy. 00:18:09.190 --> 00:18:11.410 But despite all this history, his 21 -year Barcelona 00:18:11.410 --> 00:18:14.390 career ended in the most dramatic, painful, and 00:18:14.390 --> 00:18:16.849 financially driven way imaginable. It was an 00:18:16.849 --> 00:18:20.349 emotionally devastating end in 2021. The issue 00:18:20.349 --> 00:18:23.410 wasn't a lack of desire. Messi explicitly wanted 00:18:23.410 --> 00:18:26.549 to stay. The problem was the catastrophic financial 00:18:26.549 --> 00:18:29.369 state of the club and the strict financial fair 00:18:29.369 --> 00:18:31.990 play regulations imposed by La Liga. So they 00:18:31.990 --> 00:18:34.250 literally couldn't afford him. They couldn't. 00:18:34.250 --> 00:18:36.890 His contract expired and negotiations for a new 00:18:36.890 --> 00:18:39.009 deal just collapsed because Barcelona could simply 00:18:39.009 --> 00:18:41.789 not register his salary, even at a massive pay 00:18:41.789 --> 00:18:44.289 cut, without violating the league's strict cap. 00:18:44.490 --> 00:18:47.630 His tearful departure marked the end of an irreplaceable 00:18:47.630 --> 00:18:50.859 era. That forced him into a brief two -year stint 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:53.640 in France with Paris Saint -Germain. What was 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:55.579 that period like and how did the French fans 00:18:55.579 --> 00:18:58.440 and media react? He joined PSG, reuniting with 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:00.900 Neymar, and notably chose the number 30, the 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:03.200 shirt he wore as a teenager, making his Barcelona 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:07.150 debut. The period was complex. Initially, fans 00:19:07.150 --> 00:19:10.089 were ecstatic, but the first season, 2021 -22, 00:19:10.289 --> 00:19:12.390 was difficult. His goal count was surprisingly 00:19:12.390 --> 00:19:15.069 low for him. It was, though. His playmaking remained 00:19:15.069 --> 00:19:17.650 elite. He registered 14 assists in League One. 00:19:17.809 --> 00:19:19.769 But there was immense pressure, particularly 00:19:19.769 --> 00:19:22.150 from the Parisian media, who expected the free 00:19:22.150 --> 00:19:24.630 -scoring Messi of Barcelona. But despite that 00:19:24.630 --> 00:19:26.599 pressure... He was still winning team titles 00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:29.980 and major individual awards. He was. That same 00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:33.140 year, 2021, he won his record seventh Ballon 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:35.960 d 'Or, largely thanks to his Copa America success 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:38.839 with Argentina. He secured Bactec League One 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:41.819 titles. And in 2023, he marked his departure 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:43.980 by breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's record as the 00:19:43.980 --> 00:19:46.599 all -time highest goal scorer in European club 00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:49.819 football with 702 goals before his contract ran 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:52.079 out, and he made the strategic decision to seek 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:54.140 a new challenge across the Atlantic. And that 00:19:54.140 --> 00:19:56.579 challenge... was Major League Soccer. He joined 00:19:56.579 --> 00:20:00.140 Inter -Miami in July 2023. We've heard the term 00:20:00.140 --> 00:20:03.180 messamania used frequently, but what has the 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:06.579 true quantifiable impact of this move been on 00:20:06.579 --> 00:20:08.539 the U .S. game and on the MLS balance sheet? 00:20:08.859 --> 00:20:10.960 It has been nothing short of a seismic cultural 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:13.079 and commercial event. It's not just a signing, 00:20:13.180 --> 00:20:15.920 it's a profile multiplier. Mess mania immediately 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:18.359 led to ticket prices skyrocketing, sometimes 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.240 by 1 ,000 % selling out stadiums instantly across 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:23.640 the continent, even for away games. And his jersey 00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:25.740 became the league's best seller almost overnight. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:28.839 Instantly. And his deal with Inter -Miami was 00:20:28.839 --> 00:20:30.940 structured to reflect this immense commercial 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:34.160 draw. It moved beyond just a salary. Right. It 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.599 included shares from shirt sales and a cut of 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:39.099 the streaming subscriptions. Exactly. A cut of 00:20:39.099 --> 00:20:41.500 the MLS season pass subscriptions on Apple TV 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:44.839 and, critically, a minority stake in the club 00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:48.019 itself. His presence has dramatically increased 00:20:48.019 --> 00:20:50.980 the visibility and valuation of the MLS, making 00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:53.220 it a serious global player almost overnight. 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:55.299 The success on the pitch was immediate, too. 00:20:55.380 --> 00:20:57.519 He didn't need a settling -in period at all. 00:20:57.700 --> 00:21:00.440 Absolutely immediate. He debuted in the League's 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.059 Cup, scoring a game -winning free kick in stoppage 00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:06.210 time, a perfect Hollywood introduction. The previous 00:21:06.210 --> 00:21:08.690 Inter -Miami captain, DeAndre Yedlin, immediately 00:21:08.690 --> 00:21:11.130 ceded the armband to him. And he led the club 00:21:11.130 --> 00:21:13.609 to their first ever trophy. He did, the 2023 00:21:13.609 --> 00:21:16.170 League's Cup, demonstrating instant leadership 00:21:16.170 --> 00:21:18.369 and winning pedigree. And he didn't just maintain 00:21:18.369 --> 00:21:20.829 that initial success. He broke records across 00:21:20.829 --> 00:21:24.569 2024 and 2025 that illustrate his enduring quality. 00:21:25.109 --> 00:21:28.289 2024 was about MLS dominance. He broke the league 00:21:28.289 --> 00:21:31.269 record for most assists, five, and most goal 00:21:31.269 --> 00:21:34.509 contributions, six, in a single game, a performance 00:21:34.509 --> 00:21:36.849 that demonstrated his evolved role as a pure 00:21:36.849 --> 00:21:39.170 playmaker. And the team's success followed. Inter 00:21:39.170 --> 00:21:41.450 -Miami clinched the supporter shield, setting 00:21:41.450 --> 00:21:44.750 a new league record of 74 points. Messi finished 00:21:44.750 --> 00:21:47.769 the 2024 regular season with 20 goals and 16 00:21:47.769 --> 00:21:50.990 assists in just 19 matches, immediately becoming 00:21:50.990 --> 00:21:53.589 Inter -Miami's all -time top goal scorer in less 00:21:53.589 --> 00:21:55.559 than a year and a half. And naturally, he was 00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:58.400 named the MLS MVP. And he doubled down on that 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:00.500 MVP status the following season, achieving something 00:22:00.500 --> 00:22:03.559 previously impossible. He did. 2025 saw him become 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:05.519 the fastest player in league history to reach 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:08.420 40 goals. He won the MLS Golden Boot with 29 00:22:08.420 --> 00:22:10.880 goals and 19 assists. And during the MLS Cup 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:13.279 playoffs, he set a new career -defining record. 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:16.099 The all -time record for most assists across 00:22:16.099 --> 00:22:19.460 all competitions, reaching 405 total. And the 00:22:19.460 --> 00:22:21.240 ultimate team goal in the U .S. was achieved, 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:25.109 the MLS Cup. Yes, Inter -Miami won the MLS Cup 00:22:25.109 --> 00:22:28.369 2025. Messi provided two assists in the final 00:22:28.369 --> 00:22:32.109 and was named MLS Cup MVP. The key takeaway here 00:22:32.109 --> 00:22:34.029 is that he became the first player in league 00:22:34.029 --> 00:22:36.789 history to win the MLS MVP award in back -to 00:22:36.789 --> 00:22:39.230 -back years. His arrival was not a retirement 00:22:39.230 --> 00:22:42.029 tour. It was a sustained, high -level tactical 00:22:42.029 --> 00:22:44.890 deployment that brought major trophies and redefined 00:22:44.890 --> 00:22:46.869 the league standard. Okay, now let's pivot back 00:22:46.869 --> 00:22:49.109 to Argentina. For so many years, his international 00:22:49.109 --> 00:22:52.690 career was defined by immense expectations and 00:22:52.690 --> 00:22:55.029 just consecutive heartbreak. It was such a stark 00:22:55.029 --> 00:22:57.819 contrast to his club's success. It was a massive 00:22:57.819 --> 00:23:00.079 psychological burden. His international journey 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.640 started brightly winning the 2005 FIFA World 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:05.700 Youth Championship and the 2008 Summer Olympics 00:23:05.700 --> 00:23:08.559 gold medal. But when he assumed the senior captaincy 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:11.519 in 2011, the burden of a nation's 28 year wait 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:14.119 for a senior trophy began. And he led Argentina 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:16.220 to three consecutive final losses. Three in a 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:19.619 row. The 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Copa America 00:23:19.619 --> 00:23:23.180 and the 2016 Copa America Centenario. That 2016 00:23:23.180 --> 00:23:26.240 loss, decided by penalty kicks, proved so devastating. 00:23:26.410 --> 00:23:27.990 that he briefly announced his retirement from 00:23:27.990 --> 00:23:30.390 international football. He did. The frustration 00:23:30.390 --> 00:23:32.789 and emotional exhaustion were just palpable. 00:23:33.029 --> 00:23:36.630 But the national reaction was immediate. An immense 00:23:36.630 --> 00:23:39.130 nationwide campaign of support and pleas for 00:23:39.130 --> 00:23:42.150 him to return. And he reversed his decision within 00:23:42.150 --> 00:23:44.309 a few months. It's crucial to note that even 00:23:44.309 --> 00:23:46.490 during this struggle, he was still winning individual 00:23:46.490 --> 00:23:49.289 accolades. He was. He won the Golden Ball at 00:23:49.289 --> 00:23:52.329 the 2014 World Cup and became Argentina's all 00:23:52.329 --> 00:23:56.029 -time leading goal scorer in 2016. He was achieving 00:23:56.029 --> 00:23:58.309 historic benchmarks, but the team prize just 00:23:58.309 --> 00:24:00.650 kept eluding him. But the redemption arc finally 00:24:00.650 --> 00:24:03.450 arrived, starting in 2021. The floodgates just 00:24:03.450 --> 00:24:06.369 opened. In 2021, he was the architect of the 00:24:06.369 --> 00:24:09.390 Copa America victory, which ended Argentina's 00:24:09.390 --> 00:24:12.250 28 -year senior trophy drought. He was named 00:24:12.250 --> 00:24:14.500 player of the tournament. scoring four goals 00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:17.059 and providing five assists. So he was directly 00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:19.920 involved in nine out of Argentina's 12 goals. 00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:22.500 He was the whole attack, and he also became Argentina's 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:25.059 most capped player during that tournament. He 00:24:25.059 --> 00:24:27.019 stepped up as both the goal scorer and the chief 00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:29.420 orchestrator. The international success continued, 00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:31.740 serving as a perfect warm -up for the ultimate 00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:34.559 trophy. In 2020 tier, he won the Finalissima 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:37.319 against Italy, providing two assists, which really 00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:39.740 set the tone for the World Cup in Qatar, and 00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:43.789 then the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He led Argentina 00:24:43.789 --> 00:24:47.130 to its first World Cup victory in 36 years. And 00:24:47.130 --> 00:24:49.730 he won the Golden Ball again. Again! The first 00:24:49.730 --> 00:24:52.309 player in history to win it twice. He set records 00:24:52.309 --> 00:24:55.549 for most appearances, 26, and total goal contributions, 00:24:55.890 --> 00:24:58.490 21. The final missing piece of the puzzle was 00:24:58.490 --> 00:25:00.809 secured. And the dominance hasn't stopped on 00:25:00.809 --> 00:25:02.630 the international stage either, proving that 00:25:02.630 --> 00:25:04.690 the victory was a culmination, not an endpoint. 00:25:05.210 --> 00:25:07.470 Post -World Cup, the records continue to fall. 00:25:07.609 --> 00:25:10.150 He reached 100 international goals, the first 00:25:10.150 --> 00:25:12.730 South American man to do so. He became the all 00:25:12.730 --> 00:25:15.450 -time top goal scorer in Conable World Cup qualifiers. 00:25:15.710 --> 00:25:18.509 And as of late 2025, he holds the record for 00:25:18.509 --> 00:25:20.470 the top assist provider in men's international 00:25:20.470 --> 00:25:23.410 football history with 60 assists. The redemption 00:25:23.410 --> 00:25:25.609 is complete, and his contribution to the national 00:25:25.609 --> 00:25:28.309 team has never been higher. To really understand 00:25:28.309 --> 00:25:30.710 how he sustained this unprecedented consistency 00:25:30.710 --> 00:25:33.650 and dominance over two decades, we have to look 00:25:33.650 --> 00:25:35.769 at his unique physicality and, critically, the 00:25:35.769 --> 00:25:38.029 evolution of his tactical role. It all starts 00:25:38.029 --> 00:25:41.710 with his famous nickname, La Pulga Atomica, or 00:25:41.710 --> 00:25:44.589 the Atomic Flea. And that nickname refers directly 00:25:44.589 --> 00:25:48.250 to his short stature, 1 .70 meters, or 5 feet 00:25:48.250 --> 00:25:51.289 7 inches. This height, which was compensated 00:25:51.289 --> 00:25:53.809 for by his GHD treatment, provides him with a 00:25:53.809 --> 00:25:56.470 naturally low center of gravity. which is his 00:25:56.470 --> 00:25:59.490 defining physical advantage. Exactly. It grants 00:25:59.490 --> 00:26:01.789 him superior agility and allows for those quick, 00:26:01.849 --> 00:26:04.849 decisive changes of direction to evade tackles. 00:26:05.009 --> 00:26:07.730 And while he's physically smaller, he possesses 00:26:07.730 --> 00:26:10.309 immense upper body strength and balance, which 00:26:10.309 --> 00:26:12.990 helps him withstand challenges. This is why he 00:26:12.990 --> 00:26:15.509 is famously noted for his exceptional resistance 00:26:15.509 --> 00:26:18.269 and his lack of diving in a sport that's just 00:26:18.269 --> 00:26:20.630 plagued by simulation. And that low center of 00:26:20.630 --> 00:26:23.109 gravity combined with his technical skill creates 00:26:23.109 --> 00:26:25.130 that incredible effect where the ball seems permanently 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:27.900 attached to his left foot. That is the phenomenon 00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:30.819 Pep Guardiola captured perfectly. Messi's quick 00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:33.380 feet and short bursts of acceleration allow him 00:26:33.380 --> 00:26:35.180 to retain control of the ball while dribbling 00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:41.819 at full speed. Guardiola observed, And he's predominantly 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:44.859 left -footed. Completely. He uses the outside 00:26:44.859 --> 00:26:47.680 of his left foot to initiate those weaving, dribbling 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:50.240 runs and the inside for those precise passes 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:52.599 and finishes. He is a prolific goal scorer, you 00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:55.839 know, second all time. Yet he is equally revered 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:58.839 as a playmaker. That dual role is almost unique 00:26:58.839 --> 00:27:01.859 among modern forwards. He is the ultimate dual 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:04.420 threat. He has the finishing, positioning and 00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:07.039 quick reactions of a prolific goal scorer. But 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:09.259 he combines it with the vision and passing range 00:27:09.259 --> 00:27:12.400 of an elite midfield orchestrator. described 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:15.480 as a magician or a conjurer because he just generates 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:17.900 opportunities out of nothing. Even Merida praised 00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:20.859 his control. He did, saying the ball stays glued 00:27:20.859 --> 00:27:23.640 to his foot. Moreover, he became one of the world's 00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:26.420 best set -piece takers, ranking third all -time 00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:28.599 in goals scored from direct free kicks with 69 00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:32.640 as of mid -2025 and first among all active players. 00:27:33.019 --> 00:27:35.750 So now let's track the tactical evolution. This 00:27:35.750 --> 00:27:38.430 adaptability is the key to his longevity and 00:27:38.430 --> 00:27:40.269 the core of this deep dive. He's essentially 00:27:40.269 --> 00:27:42.369 played three different elite roles throughout 00:27:42.369 --> 00:27:44.950 his career. Exactly. And this evolution demonstrates 00:27:44.950 --> 00:27:47.109 his tactical intelligence and his willingness 00:27:47.109 --> 00:27:50.289 to adapt as his body aged. OK, so phase one, 00:27:50.450 --> 00:27:53.990 the winger under Frank Reichardt. Under Reichardt, 00:27:53.990 --> 00:27:56.329 he started as a left winger but was quickly moved 00:27:56.329 --> 00:27:59.200 to the right wing. This was a strategic decision 00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:01.940 to allow him to cut inside onto his dominant 00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:05.380 left foot and curl shots on goal. His explosive 00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:07.900 pace and dribbling skills made him a devastating 00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:11.740 traditional wide forward. The revolutionary false 00:28:11.740 --> 00:28:13.960 nine under Guardiola. And this was the major 00:28:13.960 --> 00:28:16.579 innovation, fundamentally altering his relationship 00:28:16.579 --> 00:28:19.160 with the game. He was positioned centrally as 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:21.519 a false nine, acting as a center forward who 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:24.759 consistently drops deep into midfield. This wasn't 00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:27.240 about scoring goals directly. It was about creating 00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:29.740 tactical confusion, drawing defenders out, and 00:28:29.740 --> 00:28:31.640 exploiting space for the surrounding runners 00:28:31.640 --> 00:28:34.819 like Xavi and Iniesta. It redefined Barcelona's 00:28:34.819 --> 00:28:37.579 entire identity. It did. And phase three. the 00:28:37.579 --> 00:28:39.460 deep playmaker, which is the role we see today 00:28:39.460 --> 00:28:42.019 in the MLS. As he moved into his later career, 00:28:42.220 --> 00:28:44.539 starting around the Luis Enrique and Valverde 00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:47.720 years, his role became even deeper and less reliant 00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:50.440 on that explosive acceleration. He transitioned 00:28:50.440 --> 00:28:53.619 into a deeper, free playmaking role, often acting 00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:56.039 as a classic number 10 or a secondary striker. 00:28:56.220 --> 00:28:59.039 He was given license to drop deep, bypass the 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:01.420 midfield, and just orchestrate the attack with 00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:04.019 his vision and supreme passing range. His ability 00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:06.420 to transition from the explosive winger of his 00:29:06.420 --> 00:29:09.079 20s to the deep -lying quarterback of his late 00:29:09.079 --> 00:29:12.000 30s seems to be the secret sauce for maintaining 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.740 such dominance. How did he manage the physical 00:29:14.740 --> 00:29:17.259 load? The sources are very clear on this. He 00:29:17.259 --> 00:29:19.339 strategically managed the inevitable decline 00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:22.200 in sheer explosive athleticism by learning to 00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:24.940 conserve energy off the ball. In his younger 00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:26.859 years, he was constantly pressing, constantly 00:29:26.859 --> 00:29:30.259 moving. As he aged, he adopted a specific discipline 00:29:30.259 --> 00:29:33.140 self -care regimen, a stricter diet and training. 00:29:33.319 --> 00:29:35.579 But the critical change was his running economy. 00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:37.640 So he would cover less ground when the other 00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:39.900 team had the ball. Exactly. Essentially saving 00:29:39.900 --> 00:29:42.380 his energy for those short match defining bursts 00:29:42.380 --> 00:29:44.920 of acceleration, movement and critical. passing 00:29:44.920 --> 00:29:47.559 moments. And that self -care regime also seems 00:29:47.559 --> 00:29:49.720 to have fixed his early injury prone nature. 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:52.700 Precisely. He was somewhat injury prone in his 00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:55.099 late teens and early 20s. But this commitment 00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:57.619 to conserving energy, coupled with a highly disciplined 00:29:57.619 --> 00:29:59.920 diet and specialized training, significantly 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:02.839 reduced his injury record. And that allowed him 00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:05.059 to maintain the consistency needed to win back 00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:07.420 to back MVP awards in a demanding league like 00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:10.970 the MLS. We can't discuss Messi's legacy without 00:30:10.970 --> 00:30:13.190 addressing the defining, culture -shaping rivalry 00:30:13.190 --> 00:30:15.990 of our generation, the comparison with Cristiano 00:30:15.990 --> 00:30:17.869 Ronaldo. It has been the football equivalent 00:30:17.869 --> 00:30:21.109 of Ali Frazier or Federer Nadal, too, just colossal 00:30:21.109 --> 00:30:23.589 figures whose mutual existence drove them both 00:30:23.589 --> 00:30:26.529 to impossible heights for over 15 years. Absolutely. 00:30:26.730 --> 00:30:28.750 They are the two leading goal scorers in history. 00:30:28.950 --> 00:30:31.049 And the debate between them wasn't just sporting. 00:30:31.170 --> 00:30:34.410 It was cultural and philosophical. Messi is celebrated 00:30:34.410 --> 00:30:37.009 for finesse, dribbling, playmaking, humility, 00:30:37.150 --> 00:30:40.339 and smaller size. embodying the genius of skill. 00:30:40.539 --> 00:30:43.140 While Ronaldo, conversely, is praised for his 00:30:43.140 --> 00:30:45.740 exceptional speed, pure goal scoring prowess, 00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:48.700 a muscular build, and assertive self -confidence, 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:50.839 embodying the genius of athleticism and dedication. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:54.440 And their rivalry was magnified by the world's 00:30:54.440 --> 00:30:57.660 largest corporate sponsors. Immensely. Nike for 00:30:57.660 --> 00:31:01.380 Ronaldo and Adidas for Messi utilized their contrasting 00:31:01.380 --> 00:31:03.839 personas to fuel one of the biggest marketing 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:07.000 wars in sports history, intentionally magnifying 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:09.420 the differences in personality and style for 00:31:09.420 --> 00:31:11.640 global consumption. And when we compare the hardware, 00:31:11.940 --> 00:31:15.140 Messi holds the edge in individual accolades. 00:31:15.259 --> 00:31:18.240 He leads with eight volandoirs compared to Ronaldo's 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:21.220 five and six European golden shoes. verses 4. 00:31:21.559 --> 00:31:24.480 In competitive club matches head -to -head, Messi 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:26.559 also holds a winning record against Ronaldo's 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:30.700 teams. 15 wins, 9 draws, and 10 losses. Most 00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:32.640 critics would argue that the debate over the 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:35.599 greatest of all time, the GOAT, was definitively 00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:38.420 settled by the 2022 World Cup victory. That is 00:31:38.420 --> 00:31:40.559 the consensus among many critics and pundits. 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:42.880 The World Cup was the final critical benchmark 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:45.980 missing from Messi's CV. Securing that senior 00:31:45.980 --> 00:31:47.980 international trophy was deemed the definitive 00:31:47.980 --> 00:31:50.039 moment that cemented his status, particularly 00:31:50.039 --> 00:31:52.619 in the eyes of... of historical purists who always 00:31:52.619 --> 00:31:54.779 valued the World Cup above all else. And Ronaldo 00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:57.259 himself acknowledged the end of the era. He did, 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:01.079 stating in 2023 that their rivalry was gone after 00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:04.359 15 years of fierce competition. So beyond Ronaldo, 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:07.180 the comparison that shaped his entire Argentine 00:32:07.180 --> 00:32:10.220 narrative was with Diego Maradona. We touched 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:12.779 on this earlier, but for a long time, the Argentine 00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:15.799 public held Messi in lesser esteem than Maradona. 00:32:16.119 --> 00:32:18.640 What fueled that deep -seated skepticism? It 00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:21.220 was incredibly complex and tied to national identity. 00:32:21.579 --> 00:32:23.859 The skepticism was fueled by three main factors. 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:26.519 First, the lack of a senior international trophy. 00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:29.960 Maradona won the 1986 World Cup, an untouchable 00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:33.099 achievement. Second, Messi left Argentina at 00:32:33.099 --> 00:32:35.440 age 13 and never played professionally in the 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:37.759 Argentine Primera Division, which led some to 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:39.700 feel disconnected from his journey. And the third 00:32:39.700 --> 00:32:41.940 factor was based on personality, right? The reserved 00:32:41.940 --> 00:32:44.700 nature. Yes. Argentines traditionally celebrate 00:32:44.700 --> 00:32:46.900 a quality called... garry fiery passion outward 00:32:46.900 --> 00:32:49.720 aggression and assertiveness maradona embodied 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:53.019 this he was extroverted controversial always 00:32:53.019 --> 00:32:56.400 visible messi by contrast was reserved quiet 00:32:56.400 --> 00:32:58.619 and criticized for his temperament particularly 00:32:58.619 --> 00:33:01.099 his initial reluctance to sing the national anthem 00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:04.160 which led some to question his passion it created 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:06.940 a significant barrier between the national team 00:33:06.940 --> 00:33:10.319 and its greatest player so how did he manage 00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:13.119 to finally win over the entire country The shift 00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:16.299 began around 2019 when he consciously worked 00:33:16.299 --> 00:33:19.180 to become more one of the group, more Argentine, 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:21.680 becoming more assertive and vocal on and off 00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:24.200 the pitch. He finally started singing the national 00:33:24.200 --> 00:33:28.039 anthem. But the 2022 World Cup victory was the 00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:30.839 definitive moment. Pundits noted he displayed 00:33:30.839 --> 00:33:33.980 a new combative Maradonian edge during the tournament, 00:33:34.140 --> 00:33:37.440 including provocative actions and vocal confrontations 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:39.539 against the Netherlands. Which finally endeared 00:33:39.539 --> 00:33:42.339 him fully to the public. Completely. Messi himself 00:33:42.339 --> 00:33:44.640 later remarked that the World Cup win won over 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:48.180 all the people of Argentina. Today, 95 % or 100 00:33:48.180 --> 00:33:50.680 % of Argentines love me, and that's a beautiful 00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:52.759 feeling. Now that we've witnessed the emotional 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.460 peak of his career, we need to address the stratospheric 00:33:55.460 --> 00:33:57.859 financial reality that accompanied it, including 00:33:57.859 --> 00:34:00.339 some significant controversies. His financial 00:34:00.339 --> 00:34:03.259 success redefined athlete wealth. He was the 00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:05.359 world's highest paid footballer for five out 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:08.300 of six years between 2009 and 2014. And he was 00:34:08.300 --> 00:34:11.059 the first player in history to surpass the 40 00:34:11.059 --> 00:34:14.179 million, 50 million, and then the massive 100 00:34:14.179 --> 00:34:17.619 million benchmark in a single calendar year in 00:34:17.619 --> 00:34:20.980 2018. By 2020, he officially reached $1 billion 00:34:20.980 --> 00:34:24.119 in career earnings, a milestone achieved by very 00:34:24.119 --> 00:34:26.570 few athletes in any sport. And this financial 00:34:26.570 --> 00:34:29.550 success has not been without complication. The 00:34:29.550 --> 00:34:32.590 sources detail the 2016 tax fraud case in Spain. 00:34:32.789 --> 00:34:35.269 He and his father were found guilty of evading 00:34:35.269 --> 00:34:38.190 $4 .1 million in taxes on image rights earnings 00:34:38.190 --> 00:34:41.829 between 2007 and 2009, utilizing shell companies 00:34:41.829 --> 00:34:44.400 in Belize and Uruguay. Given the gravity of that 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:46.400 charge, what was his defense and what was the 00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:48.480 outcome? He and his father were given a suspended 00:34:48.480 --> 00:34:51.260 21 -month prison sentence, which is common for 00:34:51.260 --> 00:34:53.679 nonviolent first -time offenders in Spain. His 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:56.019 defense was largely one of ignorance, pleading 00:34:56.019 --> 00:34:57.840 that he trusted his father and his legal team 00:34:57.840 --> 00:35:00.599 completely and was unaware of the specific financial 00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:02.460 structures they were using. He eventually paid 00:35:02.460 --> 00:35:04.920 it all back. He did. He paid back the owed amount 00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:07.780 plus fines. But the fact that an athlete of his 00:35:07.780 --> 00:35:10.579 stature faced a conviction really highlighted 00:35:10.579 --> 00:35:12.860 the intense scrutiny placed on high earning sports 00:35:12.860 --> 00:35:15.760 figures. Moving to his brand power, his relationship 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:18.699 with Adidas is a powerful case study in athlete 00:35:18.699 --> 00:35:21.360 endorsement. He has been Adidas' main sponsor 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:24.219 since 2006, having transferred from Nike after 00:35:24.219 --> 00:35:27.039 a dispute over his image rights. Adidas created 00:35:27.039 --> 00:35:29.960 his own sub -brand, the Adidas Messi, in 2015. 00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:33.269 His cultural reach is global. exemplified by 00:35:33.269 --> 00:35:35.690 his presence among Time's 100 most influential 00:35:35.690 --> 00:35:38.210 people multiple times and becoming the first 00:35:38.210 --> 00:35:40.710 footballer ever to win Time Athlete of the Year 00:35:40.710 --> 00:35:43.550 in 2023. His digital popularity also underscores 00:35:43.550 --> 00:35:45.690 that global reach. His World Cup celebration 00:35:45.690 --> 00:35:48.309 post holds the global record for the most liked 00:35:48.309 --> 00:35:51.349 post on Instagram, with over 75 million likes. 00:35:51.590 --> 00:35:54.090 His influence is such that his actions carry 00:35:54.090 --> 00:35:56.369 global, economic, and even political weight. 00:35:56.530 --> 00:35:59.730 For instance, in 2024, his failure to play during 00:35:59.730 --> 00:36:02.059 an exhibition match in Hong Kong due to injury 00:36:02.059 --> 00:36:04.900 caused such a massive immediate backlash from 00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:06.780 the Chinese public that the Chinese Football 00:36:06.780 --> 00:36:09.239 Association temporarily halted its partnership 00:36:09.239 --> 00:36:11.679 with the Argentine Football Association. Wow. 00:36:12.579 --> 00:36:15.199 Turning now to his public life and philanthropic 00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:18.159 efforts, what is the root of his charitable focus? 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:20.880 His dedication to vulnerable children stems directly 00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:23.260 from the medical difficulties and financial strain 00:36:23.260 --> 00:36:25.980 he experienced due to his growth hormone deficiency 00:36:25.980 --> 00:36:29.460 as a child. He has worked with UNICEF since 2004, 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:32.199 serving as a goodwill ambassador since 2010, 00:36:32.420 --> 00:36:35.679 focusing on health care and education. He founded 00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:39.019 the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007, reinvesting 00:36:39.019 --> 00:36:41.139 part of his earnings into medical research and 00:36:41.139 --> 00:36:43.599 development centers across the globe. And he's 00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:46.340 made some extremely high profile donations, including 00:36:46.340 --> 00:36:48.739 one that drew a degree of controversy back in 00:36:48.739 --> 00:36:51.889 2021. He's been deeply charitable, donating damages 00:36:51.889 --> 00:36:53.989 from a libel case to Doctors Without Borders 00:36:53.989 --> 00:36:56.170 and contributing a million euros to fight COVID 00:36:56.170 --> 00:37:00.010 -19. However, the 2021 vaccine donation was complex. 00:37:00.349 --> 00:37:03.349 He donated three signed shirts to a Chinese pharmaceutical 00:37:03.349 --> 00:37:06.530 firm to secure 50 ,000 doses of the CoronaVac 00:37:06.530 --> 00:37:08.989 vaccine specifically for South American football 00:37:08.989 --> 00:37:11.530 players. Which generated controversy at the time. 00:37:11.840 --> 00:37:14.019 It did, given the widespread vaccine scarcity 00:37:14.019 --> 00:37:16.559 in the region. The perception was that athletes 00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:18.940 were being prioritized over vulnerable populations, 00:37:19.139 --> 00:37:21.800 even though the intent was to ensure the continuation 00:37:21.800 --> 00:37:24.679 of the sport. Despite the controversies, his 00:37:24.679 --> 00:37:27.780 non -sports influence is immense, even leading 00:37:27.780 --> 00:37:30.170 to recognition here in the United States. In 00:37:30.170 --> 00:37:32.809 January 2025, he was awarded the Presidential 00:37:32.809 --> 00:37:35.190 Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden for his 00:37:35.190 --> 00:37:37.610 global charitable contributions to children's 00:37:37.610 --> 00:37:39.949 health care and education programs, underscoring 00:37:39.949 --> 00:37:42.789 the vastness of his non -sports influence. Finally, 00:37:42.929 --> 00:37:45.309 he's actively preparing for the post -playing 00:37:45.309 --> 00:37:48.210 chapter, building a business empire that extends 00:37:48.210 --> 00:37:51.329 far beyond the pitch. He is focused on replicating 00:37:51.329 --> 00:37:53.610 his success in the business world, especially 00:37:53.610 --> 00:37:56.849 in the U .S. In 2024, he launched the sports 00:37:56.849 --> 00:37:59.860 and energy drink brand Moss Plus Brand. Later 00:37:59.860 --> 00:38:02.519 that year, he founded a production company headquartered 00:38:02.519 --> 00:38:06.000 in Miami and Los Angeles called 525 Rosario, 00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:08.480 named after his hometown, aimed at producing 00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:11.119 film, sporting events, and commercials. And he's 00:38:11.119 --> 00:38:13.699 getting into player development. He is. In 2025, 00:38:14.019 --> 00:38:16.059 he announced he'd be joining Luis Suarez's new 00:38:16.059 --> 00:38:19.420 soccer project, Deportivo LSM, which focuses 00:38:19.420 --> 00:38:22.119 on football training and development. He is actively 00:38:22.119 --> 00:38:24.900 building a multi -layered business legacy designed 00:38:24.900 --> 00:38:28.019 for permanence. This has been an incredible breakdown 00:38:28.019 --> 00:38:30.239 of a career that simply refuses to slow down. 00:38:30.820 --> 00:38:32.820 We've tracked his journey from the emotional 00:38:32.820 --> 00:38:35.559 weight of the GHD diagnosis and the paper napkin 00:38:35.559 --> 00:38:38.079 contract to the revolutionary false nine system, 00:38:38.360 --> 00:38:41.159 the dramatic international redemption, and his 00:38:41.159 --> 00:38:43.340 current record -shattering chapter in the MLS. 00:38:43.800 --> 00:38:47.360 The sheer volume of output, the 1 ,300 -plus 00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:49.860 goal contributions, and the continuous ability 00:38:49.860 --> 00:38:52.860 to reinvent his game in his late 30s is truly 00:38:52.860 --> 00:38:55.230 what sets him apart. What stood out most for 00:38:55.230 --> 00:38:57.489 me and what I hope the listener grasps is his 00:38:57.489 --> 00:38:59.750 strategic adaptability. That's the mechanism 00:38:59.750 --> 00:39:02.369 for his longevity. He successfully managed the 00:39:02.369 --> 00:39:04.969 inevitable decline in raw, explosive athleticism 00:39:04.969 --> 00:39:07.289 by radically shifting his tactical positioning 00:39:07.289 --> 00:39:10.070 three times over his career, from the pacey right 00:39:10.070 --> 00:39:12.309 winger to the central false nine, and finally 00:39:12.309 --> 00:39:14.630 to the deep, orchestrating playmaker we see today. 00:39:14.789 --> 00:39:16.969 This ability to conserve energy off the ball 00:39:17.309 --> 00:39:19.409 Maximizing efficiency in a league like the MLS 00:39:19.409 --> 00:39:22.210 resulted in back -to -back MVP wins and an MLS 00:39:22.210 --> 00:39:24.750 Cup championship. He's a genius who learned how 00:39:24.750 --> 00:39:27.070 to age in public better than any footballing 00:39:27.070 --> 00:39:29.739 peer. And that leads perfectly into our final 00:39:29.739 --> 00:39:32.119 provocative thought for you, the listener. The 00:39:32.119 --> 00:39:34.460 source material reveals a major milestone in 00:39:34.460 --> 00:39:37.320 his American chapter, an extended contract with 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:40.219 Inter -Miami through 2028, meaning he is set 00:39:40.219 --> 00:39:43.019 to play until he is 41 years old. Given that 00:39:43.019 --> 00:39:45.260 his career is built on defying expectations and 00:39:45.260 --> 00:39:47.699 breaking unprecedented records, and knowing his 00:39:47.699 --> 00:39:49.739 childhood desire was to finish his career back 00:39:49.739 --> 00:39:52.519 at Newell's Old Boys, the question is, since 00:39:52.519 --> 00:39:54.079 he's staying in the U .S. for three more years, 00:39:54.239 --> 00:39:56.940 what new unprecedented record might Liam LeMay 00:39:56.969 --> 00:39:59.010 he'd be aiming for to cap off the final chapter 00:39:59.010 --> 00:40:01.650 of his dominant career. Is the goal now the 1 00:40:01.650 --> 00:40:04.610 ,000 -goal barrier, or is it fundamentally transforming 00:40:04.610 --> 00:40:07.829 the MLS into a top -five global league? Something 00:40:07.829 --> 00:40:09.630 to mull over until our next deep dive.