- All-time great relentless in approach
- Boasts work rate to rival Ronaldo
- Demands the best from himself
WHAT HAPPENED?
At 36 years of age, and with a record-breaking haul of major trophies to his name, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could be forgiven for slowing down a little. He has, however, not reached the very top of his chosen profession by allowing individual standards to slide.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Much like eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi is relentless in his pursuit of perfection. He demands the best of himself and works tirelessly off the pitch in a bid to ensure that he is ready to deliver moments of match-altering brilliance every time that he crosses that white line.
WHAT TAYLOR SAID
Inter Miami are embracing those qualities at present, with Herons team-mate Robert Taylor saying of what it is like to work with the all-time great on a daily basis: “Everyone knows what he brings to the team on the field, he scores, he assists, he does amazing things on the field, he brings us results. And then in training, there’s this energy around the team, he makes everyone better, and that’s because of his personality, he wants to win every game in training, and I think that’s been lifting everyone up recently a lot.”
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
It remains to be seen whether Messi – who will be heading off on Copa America duty this summer – is given a chance to add another win to his collection when Inter Miami travel to Vancouver on Saturday. The South American superstar appeared to be nursing a knock during a training session in Florida, but he may be able to run that off.
