Messi’s Ballon d’Or journey: From Barca rookie to Argentina world champ

Lionel Messi was only 22 when he first won it. Now, at 36, he has eight golden balls to his credit. On December 1, 2009, Messi wrapped up an extraordinary year by winning the Ballon d’Or as the planet’s finest footballer. For him and his club, it was icing on the cake, as this recognition followed Messi’s mesmerising show with Barcelona during the 2008-09 season, where the Catalan club clinched an astonishing six titles: La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. It was in this particular season that he was elevated to Barca’s new number 10.

Pep Guardiola was “Josep” Guardiola then — the rookie manager who took over the reins from Frank Rijkaard. He was the one who transformed Messi’s role within the team. During Rijkaard’s tenure, Messi primarily played on the right wing and established it as his comfort zone, often cutting inside and sending out those exquisite left-footed volleys into the top corner of the net. He had already scored the wonder goal — the famous “Ankara Messi” goal — against Getafe.

The false nine

However, Pep had a different plan. Drawing inspiration from none other than Johan Cruyff, he deployed Messi as a special striker, essentially redefining the concept of a “false nine”. (This writer might argue that the false nine existed even before the era of total football, albeit in a slightly different form in Cesar Menotti’s “political” football plans). At Barcelona, with Henry and Eto’o in the frontline, Messi had the flexibility to position himself anywhere on the pitch. It was only a beginning.

In 2010 Messi repeated the feat, by scoring 53 goals along with 12 assists from as many as 47 matches for Barcelona. Some pundits still argue that at least two other players appeared to be more deserving of the recognition. Many fans had rooted for World Cup winner Andres Iniesta, and Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder was about as certain a choice as one can get.

From the fans’ perspective, this was a year when we started witnessing Messi as an exceptionally versatile player. He would frequently switch his position, playing on the right wing, taking up the role of a false nine, and even slightly dropping deep as an old-fashioned Argentine number 10 in certain matches.

Evolution of Leo Messi

In the following year, 2011, we witnessed the evolution of Leo Messi, and this transformation was reflected in his statistics. The number of assists began to rise. He achieved 53 goals and 23 assists for his club, and over the course of that calendar year, his stats showed an impressive 59 goals and 37 assists in 70 games, including international matches.

In the next season, Messi managed to score an incredible 73 goals in 60 matches, while also providing 30 assists. It was undoubtedly one of the most prolific calendar years for La Pulga, as he tallied a total of 91 goals for both his club and the national team combined.

The next two years belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo, with Messi finishing in second place. In 2013, the race for the Golden Ball was one of the closest-fought contests, with Frank Ribéry providing a strong challenge to both of them.

The MSN

Following the disappointment of the 2014 World Cup final, Messi returned to claim the Ballon d’Or in 2015. By that time, he had transformed into a completely different player, leading the greatest club trio of all time alongside Luiz Suarez and Neymar, forming the incredible MSN. He scored a remarkable 58 goals and provided 27 assists in 57 games, and such statistics had become the norm for Messi by then.

Suarez, who served as a traditional number 9, kept the centre-backs occupied by positioning himself on the shoulder, and making the runs in behind the defence. This strategy created space for Messi to drift inside and take on the role of a playmaker, if not the enganche with a mesmerizing synergy with Neymar, who would cut in from the left.

This was how the renowned MSN trio constituted a dynamic and fluid front line, characterized by intricate interplay and positional interchange, amassing an astounding 364 goals among them during the three seasons they played together.

Transformation as a leader

In 2016, it was another emotional year for Leo Messi, marked by his dramatic announcement of international retirement and subsequent comeback. In 2019, once again, Messi travelled to Paris to claim the Golden Ball award, following another significant disappointment in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Two years later, the situation had completely changed. Messi found himself on the podium ahead of Robert Lewandowski, with two major trophies in his showcase: the Copa America and Finalissima. Messi had undergone an unbelievable transformation as a leader, and a young team rallied around him, playing for him, following his lead, and adoring him.

His playing role, especially with the national team, had evolved into a combination of an enganche, right-winger, and false nine. He had the flexibility to switch between these roles at will, and his teammates adapted and adjusted accordingly to support his playstyle. Finding the perfect mentor and coach in Leonel Scaloni was instrumental for Messi during this period and it was proven in Qatar world cup.

It was in the swim-or-sink match against Mexico that he displayed his next level of transformation, netting a perfect carpet drive from outside the box when it mattered the most. This goal was arguably one of the most clutch goals ever scored in a World Cup match. He didn’t stop there; Messi continued to impress. He followed up with a magnificent no-look assist to Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands and displayed brilliant dribbling skills before setting up Julien Alvarez for a goal against Croatia, not to mention that late goal in the extra time of the final against France.

Even though he might not have been at his best during his time in France with PSG, Messi’s football prowess remained intact whenever he wore the Albiceleste jersey for the national team. It’s no surprise that his two latest Ballon d’Or awards will have “Argentina” etched on them, given his outstanding performances and achievements with the national team.