Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Fifteen years after making his Barcelona debut in a friendly, Lionel Messi is still going strong. So strong there is a theory he is an alien.
Almost half a lifetime ago, Messi played against Porto at the Nou Camp – and has gone on to break countless records.
The record goalscorer for Barcelona (566), La Liga (392) and Argentina (65), the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has won 33 trophies with Barca.
Now 31, and showing no signs of slowing down, Messi has scored 14 goals in 13 games in all competitions this season – and is the joint top scorer in La Liga with a goal every 87 minutes – despite being out for three weeks with a broken arm.
But how does he do it?
One potential explanation was raised on Thursday’s BBC Radio 5 live Football Daily podcast by Spanish football writers Andy West and Guillem Balague – who have both written books on the Argentine.
“There is a theory that he is an alien. How else could he do it?” said West. “Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is a particular proponent of that theory.”
Balague added: “On the alien theory, I wrote in my book that there are 11 things you need to be Messi and that is why he must be an alien. Only an alien can have that.
“The right family and football context – his family almost emigrated to Australia. Had he been born there would he be Messi? I don’t think so. In Argentina, yes. You have to have the motivation, the ambition, the regularity of effort, commitment, sacrifice, confidence, leadership, emotional intelligence, the genes and you have to have luck.
“Put all that together and you get Messi. Why have there not been any more Messis? Because it is impossible to have all that together.
“He was a rock falling down a mountain, there was no stopping him and he would have destroyed whatever came in his way.”