Lionel Messi is not literally God, per source
Lionel Messi has scored at least 40 goals 10 seasons in a row, including two more this weekend, but he’s not God, probably.
Lionel Messi picked up where he left off before the international break this weekend, scoring twice in Barcelona’s 2-0 win against Espanyol. The goals — one of which was recorded as an OG by Madrid-based outlet Marca, to much consternation among Barca fans — mean Messi has now scored at least 40 times 10 seasons in a row.
That is an outrageous statistic, and yet it still fails in almost every meaningful way to capture the Argentine’s genius. Before the international break, Messi was last seen against Real Betis scoring a hat-trick so good Betis’ fans started chanting his name. Commentators on French TV, meanwhile, went viral for laughing at his first and third goals.
And those are just his last two games. At age 31, Messi is arguably better than he’s ever been, taking control of Barca’s attack in every phase of play in addition to his usual goalscoring numbers. Such consistent excellence has also raised important questions about how Messi is able to continue to surprise us like this, questions up to and including: Is he literally God?
Next. 25 best club soccer teams of all time. dark
Per a report from Vatican City’s Pope Francis, the answer to that question is negative: “Of course it is a joy [to watch Messi],” Papa Francesco told Spanish TV station La Sexta, “but he is not God.”
The Pope is certainly a trusted authority on these matters, but then one has to wonder whether he saw Messi’s chip against Betis, or for that matter any of the other nearly 700 goals he’s scored over the course of his career.