On this very day thirty three years ago, a star was born in Argentina by the name Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini. The years to come saw him become the face for two great soccer teams, Barcelona and Argentina. He is revered and worshiped throughout the world. There are things which I learnt from him, which goes beyond the football field, which I want to share today:
1. Follow your passion:
“What I do is play soccer, which is what I like.”
Messi dedicated his entire life in chasing one thing-soccer. He followed his passion and made a career out of it. Many of us are ‘stuck’ in doing things which are dictated upon us rather than pursuing what our heart truly wants. Messi recognized his heart’s inner desire quite early in life and was determined to follow the same path for the rest of his life.
2. Consistency is the key:
“It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.”
Messi practiced day and night to master his game. He was short statured and was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency; however, he compensated this weakness with his incredible speed and endurance. This speed and endurance comes from the hard work he had devoted in the practice sessions.
3. Chasing your dreams:
“You have to fight to reach your dreams. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”
Messi dedicated his entire life to football. He had to leave his family behind and shift to Spain at a very young age to pursue his dreams. There were days when he felt homesick and wanted to return home, but his dreams kept the desires burning inside him. He sacrificed the comfort of his home and chose football instead.
4. Money is a by-product of success and not success itself:
“I’m just happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love. If I wasn’t paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing.”
Money never motivated Messi. He was just in love with the game. Interestingly, he is the second highest paid athlete in the world; however, he donates much of his earnings in philanthropy work.
5. Always keep upgrading yourself:
“The day you think there are no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player.”
Messi kept innovating his style of play every time he went onto the field. He believed learning never stops. Due to this quality, he was often compared to another football legend Diego Maradona.
6. Team work is more important than individual contribution:
“I’m lucky to be part of the team who helps to make me look good, and they deserve as much of the credit for my success as I do for the hard work we have put in on the training ground”
Messi was known as a devoted team player. There were times, he chose to assist other footballers in scoring the goal rather than shooting the ball himself. He always believed it was important for the team to win rather than making records himself. This quality of him made him a very good captain and a natural leader.
7. Embracing failures
“Sometimes, you have to accept you can’t win all the time.”
Messi always performed his top game irrespective of whatever the results were. He always took pleasure in being at the moment. That speaks volumes of his sportsmanship.Life is a game with wins and loses. Enjoy every moment what life has to offer. What is important is that you give your best without worrying about the results.
Messi is among the few soccer legends whom I idolize. My other favorites are Christiano Ronaldo, Pele and Diego Maradona. Being a Bengali, football is the most talked about sport at my house. Though I never played the game professionally, I love watching Messi play. When he plays football, it seems that the ball is glued to his body. He hardly touches the ball 5- 6 times. Moreover, despite being so talented, he is the most humble and down to the earth athlete I have ever come across.
