Thank You, Leo!

I've been a football fan for a good twenty years, and Lionel Messi was always there.

As a young child, I didn't understand much about football, so back then I didn't know what good football was or who good footballers were.

As I grew older, my understanding of football increased, and it quickly became clear to me that what this little Argentinean did on the pitch was unique.

During my school years, the question that gripped the entire world was omnipresent: Messi or Ronaldo?

I enjoyed discussing the question, but not because it was open for me, but because I couldn't understand it.

Every Messi fan knows that with Messi, it's not about numbers, statistics, or records – it's about watching Messi, letting yourself be captivated by his magic. And once you've seen that magic, the answer could only ever be Messi.

I spent countless hours watching highlight videos. Even though I had seen the scenes dozens of times before, I would always sit there shaking my head, thinking, "this isn't humanly possible."

The solo goal against Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final, the last-minute winner in El Clasico 2017, or the free-kick in the 2019 Champions League semi-final against Liverpool are highlights I've watched hundreds of times.

In the Argentina shirt, there was little to marvel at for a long time; disappointment followed disappointment. But Lionel Messi was, after all, Lionel Messi, and he wouldn't be the greatest of all time if he hadn't also shown it for the "Albiceleste."

After the 2022 World Cup title, I thought there couldn't be a better time to end a career, but Argentina's number ten is also a driven man.

Thus, he was there again at this World Cup and arguably delivered his best tournament performance of his entire career.

Before the tournament, many had written off the 39-year-old, who has been playing in the USA for three years. But Messi is Messi, and therefore, it should not have surprised anyone that he is still the best, even at almost 40 years old.

Ultimately, he did not become a world champion, but in eight games, he once again gifted us that magic that no one before him possessed and no one long after him will.

For my generation, Messi was more than just the best footballer in the world. He was the reason we fell in love with this sport.

Thank You, Leo!