Lionel Messi: Greatest artist on and off the field

The has never played any competitive match in this part of the world except for one friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata in 2011. Argentina is in the other hemisphere of the globe and, in an Indian context, it is on the other side of the planet, almost diametrically. One may not have seen that piece of land of that country but everyone would have heard about it. It is because of two men. One Diego Armando Maradona. The other, of course, is LIONEL MESSI. If any footballer can manage to stir up emotions morphed in mass hysteria in this age and generation, then the latter would be the undisputed king. There is no story unheard nor is there any anecdote not told. Every time he touches the ball, it turns into an immortal story of beauty and skill. On the field he has created a world of his own. He’s sui generis for he’s capable of almost everything. Dribbling? Assisting? Running with the ball? Play-making from deep inside his own half? A free-kick 20 yards from goal? He does all of this. The numbers are even more staggering. An unmatchable eight Ballon d’Ors. Messi has scored over 850 goals for club and country; 672 goals for Barcelona (all-time highest); four Champions League titles and three FIFA best player awards.Messi is everywhere. Like one fan put it, he is there when we are happy and when we are sad. He can lift us out of our slumber when we are sleepy and can motivate us when we are down. He has transcended religion, caste, creed and region. He is the unifying factor that can bind the world into one. He is omnipotent too. Just like God. What else would explain erecting a 70-m statue in Kolkata, multiple timezones away from Rosario, Messi’s home in South America?On a multi-day tour of India—aptly named GOAT tour —Messi is everywhere. Politicians want to play football with him. People want to give up their weekend to breathe his air, even if it’s only going to be for a few minutes. What’s `10 lakh if the prize for parting with that money is to see him in the flesh and shake his hands. On Saturday, Kolkata’s hoi polloi went to the Salt Lake Stadium to see him, their God of football. It didn’t matter that from 100 feet away, he would appear as a speck but nothing was going to deter fans’ expectations and their love. It was an‘I-was-there’ moment, a moment he or she would live with for their entire lives. No wonder, then, when they couldn’t see him, it turned ugly and chaotic.So when Messi landed in the wee hours of a wintery night in Kolkata, the whole city seemed to be awake. The Albiceleste had a different meaning. As the jamboree moved to Hyderabad, scenes were much saner. A meet-and-greet session cost `10 lakh, and people were happily paying without batting their eyelids.Messi’s growing-up years are like fables. The story goes that the first time he touched the ball with his left foot, he was so young he could not shoot. Messi was not even supposed to be playing then. He was playing on the sidelines. His first coach, Salvador Aparicio, during an interview (2008) said his team was one player short and he had to take permission from his mother who was initially reluctant but a little nudge from Messi’s grandmother helped her make up her mind. The magic has remained since then. Like when he caresses the ball or embarrasses defenders… he was born on this planet to play football. Even at 38, when he’s in the twilight of his career, like the firefly, he is still illuminating the night.Messi’s off the field persona is even more alluring. He lacks the flamboyance of Maradona. He can hardly be called a showman like Ronaldo. He leads a quiet life. He is a devout Christian, a family man who is hardly seen in public. Only his inner circle — Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and compatriot Rodrigo de Paul (both of whom are of course with him in this trip to India) — know the real Messi, what he’s like away from the public eye but he’s generally reserved. After leading Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022, he has placed himself atop a pedestal reserved for greatest sports persons on this planet.To borrow the great English novelist Joseph Conrad’s words: “A work that aspires, however humbly, to the condition of art should carry its justification in every line. And art itself may be defined as a single-minded attempt to render the highest kind of justice to the visible universe, by bringing to light the truth, manifold and one, underlying its every aspect.” And Messi is the greatest football artist on and off the field and he will remain forever.



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