Lionel Messi is often regarded as a football genius, and I want to lay out the argument as to exactly why he is the smartest player in the world, right now.
Yesterday, Neymar praised Messi for "think(ing) faster than everyone else".
He said: "Messi is the best, he thinks faster than everyone else (in football). Overall, the team played great football."
And it's true. Sometimes it seems like Messi can see into the future, because he is somehow able to anticipate every single thing that happens on the pitch.
There was a point in the Ajax game where he skipped through a bunch of their defence, dribbling with both feet and avoiding every attempt at a tackle. It was beautiful…
Not only this, but he manages to receive passes exactly where his teammates need him to be and is simultaneously able to spot and anticipate his teammates runs, and execute the perfect pass to them in an instant.
This is exactly what separates him from everybody else and Neymar has hit the nail right on the head. Messi's brain is why he is so good, not his feet, or his balance or anything else. The good news is that, with age his brain will not decline, like his legs inevitably will one day…
Do you think Lionel Messi is the smartest footballer in the world?
