Lionel Messi is an extraordinary soccer player and is widely regarded as the best player in the world. There are several reasons why Messi is such a prolific dribbler. Firstly, he possesses a low center of gravity, allowing him to maintain balance even when surrounded by opponents. Secondly, he possesses exceptional speed and endurance, enabling him to sprint for extended periods without fatigue. Finally, Messi is also an incredibly creative player, constantly inventing new and innovative methods to outwit his rivals.
Lionel Messi is hailed as the greatest footballer of all time. Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi currently represents FC Barcelona in club football. Initially, Messi started as a right-winger who would dribble or cut inside with his dominant left foot to either shoot or deliver a penetrating pass through the middle.
Under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, Messi eventually operated as a false-9, a striker who drops deep and receives the ball in a slightly deeper position to connect with his midfielders. Nowadays, Messi can be found operating in various positions on the field, cutting in from the right or moving through the center of the pitch.
Lionel Messi during the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final. (Photo Credit: Christopher Johnson / Wikimedia Commons)
This versatile role is partly attributed to his footballing vision and creativity, as well as his unparalleled dribbling ability. Messi often skillfully bypasses the defenses of his opponents by dribbling past them and creating space behind. In this open space, even a brief moment is sufficient for Messi to look up and find his teammate with a swift pass.
His signature move is the feint, a technique in which he performs a deceptive movement and quickly shifts the ball to his other leg. This mesmerizes the opponent, causing them to misjudge the direction and fall to the ground due to their momentum. However, recently, he has gained more recognition for his cheeky nutmegs.
At the age of 10, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which resulted in his small stature. This hindered his growth compared to other children. The treatment for this condition cost his father at least $1,000 per month. However, FC Barcelona recognized Messi’s exceptional talent and signed him after his trial, including covering his medical expenses. Today, Messi, still slightly stout, stands at 170 cm.
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Despite this medical adversity, Messi’s genetic predisposition fortuitously made him one of the greatest footballers of all time. He is scientifically designed to excel. This is undoubtedly a bold claim, but basic physics can prove its validity.
I would also like to emphasize that height does not necessarily determine footballing ability. There are many other short footballers besides Messi who have achieved remarkable success. The difference, of course, lies in other factors, which I will discuss in the final section of this article.
Lowering the Center of Gravity
Commentators often praise Messi’s dribbling skills, saying that “the ball sticks to his feet.” Despite his physical disadvantages, Messi rarely falls or loses his balance when being pushed by strong opponents. This can be attributed to his low center of gravity.
Lionel Messi dribbling past AS Roma defense in a pre-season friendly in 2015-16. (Photo Credit: Justine Magny / Wikimedia Commons)
When gravity acts on an object, every part of the object is pulled towards the earth. This results in the object’s weight. However, where does this weight act on the object? In other words, can all the individual forces be combined into a single force that acts on a single point? This hypothetical point, where the weight of the object is concentrated, is called the center of gravity (COG).
The COG is the point where all the individual weights are balanced. It is not fixed and varies depending on the weight and distribution of the object. For a perfect sphere, the COG is in the center. However, as the shape of the object becomes more complex, gravity acts in different ways.
Nevertheless, even with a distorted shape, there is still a point where all the forces are balanced, although it is not located at the exact center of the object. The COG of human beings is estimated to be around the waist. One important observation is that the COG is lower for shorter and stouter bodies, and higher for taller bodies.
A person’s center of gravity is closely related to balance and stability. Imagine gradually leaning your head towards the ground. With each tilt forward, your COG rises, and the weight increases. Without changing your footing, gravity acting on this new point will create a torque and cause you to fall.
The amount of tipping force depends on the distance between this new point and the original center of gravity. This means that taller people will have more difficulty maintaining balance when pushed. On the other hand, shorter people have a smaller distance, making it harder to disrupt their balance. Even though taller individuals may struggle to lean forward, they can achieve stability by lowering their COG, such as by sitting on a chair.
A low COG is the reason why military vehicles are short and stout. This allows them to turn quickly without tipping over. (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo By Photographers Mate 3rd Class Shawn Hussong / Wikimedia Commons)
This principle becomes clearer when we compare it to doors. When force is applied to the edge of a door, it can easily be pushed wide open. However, as the point of force moves closer to the hinge, it becomes increasingly difficult to open. The maximum resistance is observed when the point of force is directly adjacent to the hinge. As the point of force moves away from the hinge, the door becomes easier to open.
Looking at Messi, it’s now clear why he manages to stay on his feet despite being constantly kicked and pushed. His low center of gravity allows him to accelerate and decelerate quickly. It’s safe to say that Messi was genetically designed to become one of the greatest footballers in history, if not the greatest.
Nature Vs Nurture
No analysis of athleticism can be unbiased without considering the Nature vs Nurture debate. While Messi does have a low center of gravity and stays on his feet, it’s important to note that not every physically strong footballer has the same ability to hold onto the ball. Eden Hazard, Sergio Aguero, and Alexis Sanchez are other skilled dribblers whose short stature and low center of gravity contribute to their abilities. However, it would be unfair to attribute Messi’s incredible dribbling solely to his genetics. He dedicated years of intense training during his adolescence to hone his skills. Just like Mozart was genetically predisposed to understand music, without practice, his talent would have been wasted.
Without deliberate practice, Messi could never have achieved greatness, just like anyone else. Despite being physically weak, Messi couldn’t rely on strength alone to overcome defenders. His determination and desire to win drove him to develop a unique form of strength and train harder to compete with the best in the sport.
Now, let’s talk about Messi’s natural abilities. He possesses a lethal combination of endurance and speed. Research on dribbling a football has shown that it significantly increases energy expenditure and lactate production, especially when done at high speeds.
Blood lactate levels indicate the production and accumulation of lactic acid, which is responsible for the burning sensation and fatigue in our muscles after intense workouts. Additionally, Messi’s quick bursts of acceleration and deceleration to execute his feints require more physical effort than simply sprinting, as they place additional metabolic load on the body.
Why is this important? Studies have shown that genetic factors influence speed and power by 30% to 90%, while genetic factors influence endurance or peak oxygen uptake by 40% to 70%. Messi was naturally gifted with these traits, but it would be unfair to overlook the role of nurture and only attribute his success to nature.
After his trial in 2000, Charly Rexach, the first team director, immediately wanted to sign Messi. In the absence of legal documents, Messi signed his first contract on a paper napkin. The quiet and reserved child helped Barcelona win numerous accolades and went on to win a record five Ballon d’Or awards. Messi has achieved almost everything in football, except winning the World Cup, something that Maradona accomplished.
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Messi, who has scored more than 600 goals, holds the record as the top goal scorer in the history of FC Barcelona. When he was a child, his maternal grandmother named Celia used to accompany him to training sessions and matches. Unfortunately, Celia passed away not long after Messi turned eleven, and this had a profound impact on him. As a way of paying homage to her, Messi celebrates his goals by looking up and pointing to the sky.