Lionel “Leo” Messi is now the champion of the FIFA World Cup, which will almost certainly solidify his reputation in the eyes of the vast majority of soccer fans as one of the best players in the history of his sport.
The Argentine, who is 35 years old, has won a record seven Ballon d’Or trophies, which are presented by the French news magazine France Football to the best international soccer player of the year. The Argentine also has a completely loaded trophy cabinet. The World Cup trophy was the one significant piece that was still missing until Sunday, when Lionel Messi and Argentina won it in a penalty shootout against France by a score of 4-2 following an extra-time thriller.
However, Messi has never set out to become the player who is regarded as the GOAT, which is an acronym that stands for the best player of all time.
Messi stated in an interview with France Football from the previous year that “it doesn’t alter anything for me to be the greatest or not.” “And neither did I ever try to be,” she said.
According to him, when he was a kid, he didn’t fantasize about being a soccer superstar; rather, he focused on accomplishing smaller goals, finishing one at a time before moving on to the next.
Messi is quoted as saying, “I battled for my dreams.” “Initially, I wanted to make a living as a professional player. After that, I challenged myself to do better and set fresh objectives for each new year.
The following method may seem familiar to you: It brings to mind psychologist Carol Dweck’s notion of the growth mindset, which proposes that talent is simply a starting point and that one may improve with hard work and dedication.
According to what Dweck noted in her research from 2015 titled “Growth,” persons who have a growth mindset have the belief that even their most fundamental skills can be improved with enough effort and devotion.
Many individuals who are not athletes, such as businessman Mark Cuban and actor Will Smith, are advocates of their own versions of the growth mentality. According to a number of studies, children who are instructed by their teachers to adopt a “growth mindset” are able to increase their test results more than their classmates over the course of time.
Even as a little boy who was diagnosed with growth hormone insufficiency at the age of 11, Messi has always been a good athlete. In fact, he was diagnosed with the condition. However, the small superstar, who measures at only 5 feet 7 inches, is unwavering in his assertion that a strong work ethic has been the primary factor in his ongoing success.
According to comments he’s made in previous interviews, he puts in lengthy hours of practice “day after day, year after year” in order to maintain his level of play on the soccer field. And despite the fact that he had been known for a long time as a superstar all over the world, it took him about 16 years and five World Cup competitions until he eventually won the elusive title.
Along with the substantial revenue he’s raked in over the course of his 18-year career, the new trophy is a welcome addition to his already impressive collection. According to Forbes, he has over $130 million in earnings for this year, making him the highest paid athlete in the world in 2022.
According to estimations provided by Forbes, this figure takes into account a basic income of about $75 million from his club side, Paris Saint-Germain, as well as $55 million from endorsements and other off-field pursuits.
In other words, being the best can result in significant financial gain. But in an interview with France Football, Messi insisted that being one of the sport’s all-time greats was never his intention; rather, he attributed his success to the fact that he has put in a lot of effort over a long period of time, which has allowed his natural ability to shine through.
“For me, just being able to be regarded or recognized as one of the greatest players in the world is more than enough,” he added. “For me, just being able to be considered or cited as one of the best players in the world.” “It is something that I never in a million years would have dared to think or dream of,” said the speaker.
