The brain and mind of Lionel Messi

Neuro Athletes,

In the 2015 Copa del Rey final, football fans witnessed a spectacular and unforgettable scene.

At a little less than 20 minutes into the match between Barca and Athletic Bilbao, the ball was passed to Lionel Messi. With the ball at his feet and about 60 yards away from the goal, he reached a speed of 19.5 mph in just 2.73 seconds. With 3 defenders surrounding him, he decelerated and shook them off with 3 short controlled touches. As he enters the box, he performs an inside-out move, creating more than 5 feet of space from another defender and immediately kicks the ball, sending it through a group of players and straight into the goal, missing the keeper’s outstretched hand by barely 6 inches. 

This “scientifically impossible goal,” as the commenters called it, happened in just a matter of 13 seconds since he got hold of the ball.

Primer

11-year old Lionel was sitting at the doctor’s office in Rosario, Argentina. He had just been told that he has growth hormone deficiency. If he doesn’t get a costly treatment, he will barely grow at all.

Since young, Messi has had only one dream — to be a professional footballer. At age 5, he began living with that goal in mind and nothing could stop him from achieving it — not even when he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency and was “too small to play” football. His strong mindset eventually made him more than just a professional footballer. And unlike other elites who are known for their physical prowess, Messi was famous for his ability to read the game and dictate it to his own tempo. From being considered too small to even make it as a professional, Messi never gave up. He followed his dreams and is now one of the greatest players of all time.

How did he do that? 

“I don’t plan or anticipate my play,” he said. “I do everything through instinct.” 

To read the rest of the article, click here