Lionel Messi: Viral video shows there's 'no stat to measure' PSG star's ability

Happy birthday, Lionel Messi.

At the expense of sounding all saccharine and sentimental, the reality is that Messi‘s birthday is also a celebration for everybody in the beautiful game.

No, not to party at the thought of him edging closer to retirement – we see you, Cristiano Ronaldo ultras – but rather as an excuse to herald one of the greatest football players of all time.

Even if you don’t consider Messi to be your personal pick for the GOAT – power to you – you can’t deny that the Paris Saint-Germain star has brought truckloads of brilliance to the sport we all love.

And to think that he’s now passed the halfway mark of his thirties having won a Ballon d’Or in the last 12 months just goes to show how evergreen he continues to be – and how blessed we are as a result.

Nevertheless, as too is the case for the 37-year-old Ronaldo, time at the top is still finite for the greats of the game.

And while we couldn’t possibly predict when Messi still start to plateau and consider retirement, his advanced age – for a footballer, that is – nevertheless means that we should appreciate him even more with each passing birthday.

You never know when you might see your last 10/10 masterclass from Messi, so it’s the safer bet to soak up every little moment that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to offer at the highest level.

Now, hopefully they’ll be plenty of them to come next season at the Parc des Princes, but while we all wait for the 2022/23 campaign to come around, let’s enjoy a birthday treat in the mean time.

And just on cue, a brilliant montage summarising the genius of the Argentina captain has gone viral on Twitter this week, aptly leading with the caption: “There’s no stat to measure Messi’s ability.”

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