Day 2 Challenge Answer — Lionel Messi: The Greatest of All Time?
Day 2 of the KickGuessr 100 Days Challenge. The answer was Lionel Messi.
Three clues. Eight Ballon d’Or wins. A World Cup. And now playing in Miami at the age of 37. If you did not get this one, we need to talk.
Here is what each clue was telling you.
Clue 1: 8 Ballon d’Or Winner
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or eight times. That is more than any other player in history. His wins came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
The eighth win in 2023 was particularly significant because it came after he finally won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. For years the argument against Messi was that he had never won a World Cup. That argument no longer exists.
Clue 2: World Cup Winner 2022
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was Lionel Messi’s tournament. Argentina beat France in the final in what many consider the greatest World Cup final ever played. The match went to extra time and penalties after finishing 3-3. Messi scored twice. Mbappe scored a hat-trick. Argentina won on penalties.
Messi held the trophy. The debate was over.
Clue 3: Now Plays in the USA
In July 2023, Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. The move transformed American football overnight. Every game Inter Miami plays is sold out. Every city they visit sells out within hours of tickets going on sale.
At 37 years old, Messi is still the biggest name in world football.
The Messi Story
Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1987. At the age of 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. His family could not afford the treatment. Barcelona paid for it. In return, Messi signed his first contract — on a paper napkin — and moved to Spain at 13.
At Barcelona he became the greatest player the club has ever seen. 672 goals in 778 appearances. Ten La Liga titles. Four Champions League titles. Seven Ballon d’Or wins while at the club.
What makes Messi different from every other player is that he makes the game look effortless. He does not sprint past defenders the way some forwards do. He drifts past them. His low centre of gravity, his balance, and his close control make him almost impossible to dispossess when he is at his best.
Messi vs Ronaldo
No discussion of Messi is complete without mentioning Cristiano Ronaldo. The debate has run for nearly twenty years and shows no signs of ending. Messi has eight Ballon d’Or wins to Ronaldo’s five. Messi has the World Cup. Ronaldo has the Champions League with two different clubs.
Most football statisticians would edge towards Messi when looking purely at the numbers. Most fans who love a more physical, explosive style of play prefer Ronaldo. The truth is both players are so far beyond anyone else that the comparison itself is almost unfair to everyone else.
Day 3 Is Coming
Day 2 was still in the comfortable territory. Day 3 introduces a player who might be the fastest in the world. The clues drop tonight.