Lionel Messi has achieved his dream of winning the World Cup for Argentina and cemented his status – in the eyes of many – as the world’s greatest footballer of all time.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner struck twice in his country’s triumph over France on Sunday – and scored a crucial penalty in a thrilling penalty shoot-out in extra time.
That means he now has a trophy in his cabinet that his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t.
Messi – who stands 5ft 7in and is nicknamed ‘the flea’ for his short stature – was almost written off as a youngster because he was considered too small and frail. But doctors agree that his low center of gravity and compact build give him a burst of speed that opposing players can’t match.
When it comes to celebrities, Messi is notoriously private and rarely shares personal information about his habits and hobbies. But he’s known for following a high-fat Mediterranean diet, which countless studies have shown clears arteries, gives followers more energy, and boosts their lung and heart performance.
Lionel Messi has achieved his dream of winning the World Cup for Argentina and cemented his status – in the eyes of many – as the world’s greatest footballer of all time
Argentinian phenomenon Lionel Messi’s short stature gives him natural advantages on the pitch, including a lower center of gravity, resulting in better balance and agility. It also gives him the unique ability to keep the ball at his foot at full speed on the field. Messi also completely changed his diet in 2014, eschewing fizzy drinks and sugary snacks in favor of herbal tea and a healthy Mediterranean diet
Growth brakes led to top speeds on the pitch
Some might see being one of the smallest players on the pitch as a negative, but it has given the striker a huge advantage in pace.
Messi’s 5’7′ stature means his center of gravity is lower than that of the average player. For comparison, the average English Premier League player was 6’0″ tall in 2017.
Messi was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Disorder, or GHD, at just 11 years old.
The condition is caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body, leading to stunted growth.
At the age of 12 he had to have expensive growth hormone injections in his leg every night.
At 13, FC Barcelona offered Messi a place in their team and sponsored his medical treatment, which helped him grow to his height as an adult.
Smaller people naturally have a lower center of gravity than their taller peers.
A lower center of gravity – the balance point between your upper and lower body weight – gives a person better balance and stability when running.
This is because a person’s weight is concentrated lower on their body, which allows them to quickly balance with their feet. This is the same reason buildings and structures are built with more weight on the bottom.
It explains why Messi has such great contact balance, as the Argentine maestro has a famous ability to deflect tackles from bigger, stronger players.
The Argentine soccer player celebrates with his fans after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after a thrilling final against France
His great balance allows him to take the shot, maintain his stance and keep dribbled in moments when weaker players would fall.
With better balance comes better agility as Messi has more control over his body movements than average.
This combination of balance and agility allows him to excel on the field – weaving through defenders, throwing them off him and leaving his opponents confused by his movement.
He also has exemplary speed. In his prime, Messi could reach speeds of over 32 km/h, placing him among the 15 fastest footballers in recorded history.
Smaller players naturally have smaller strides than taller humans, but benefit from being able to move their limbs faster than their taller counterparts.
To achieve such speeds, Craig Friedman, team lead for performance innovation at Athletes’ Performance, told ESPN, “First you have to be explosive and powerful.
“Then you need to be stable enough in your ankles, hips and upper body to be able to efficiently put that power into the ground.
“And finally, you have to direct the power into the ground in the right direction, and that’s where technique comes in.”
With his below-average height, Messi excels in all three areas.
Mr. Friedman added, “He’s a small guy, but his power development is very high and his power-to-weight ratio is just ridiculous.”
Where Messi’s incredible speed really stands out is when he has the ball at his feet.
While a player like Ronaldo – who comes in at 6’2” and whose top speed of 33.5km/h is slightly faster than Messi’s – would need to shorten his stride to keep the ball on his foot, this is at a player with already shortened steps.
This means Messi can control the ball close to his top running speed and taller players have no advantage.
Soccer players with a shorter running stride and a lower center of gravity can also slow down faster, anticipate changes in speed and direction and accelerate faster – other important tools Messi uses on the field.
Mediterranean diet for optimal muscles
The traditional Argentine diet is meat-heavy, and the country’s national dish is a selection of grilled steaks, ribs, chorizo and sausage.
But the 35-year-old Messi had to avoid high meat consumption on the advice of his Italian nutritionist Giuliano Poser.
Mr Poser has worked with the Argentine since 2014 and identified five essential elements – water, olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables – as the basis of Messi’s eating habits. Nuts and seeds are also important.
Mr Poser told the Independent: “The amount of meat normally eaten by Argentines and Uruguayans is too much as it is difficult to digest.”
While eating lots of meat is usually associated with athletes due to its high protein content, a diet high in meat can cause a person to consume excess cholesterol and fats.
They can also suffer from nutrient deficiencies – which in turn leads to poor heart health and less energy on the field.
Messi’s favorite dish is fried chicken with root vegetables, his ex-team Barcelona have revealed.
The recipe includes four chicken thighs, a leek, an onion, carrots, and 25-28 ounces of potatoes, and is seasoned with four crushed garlic cloves, 1 ounce of olive oil, salt, and fresh thyme.
Lionel Messi (pictured below left) in the Barcelona youth team, as well as Gerard Pique (top row, third from left) and Cesc Fabregas (top row, second from right). FC Barcelona helped Messi’s family pay for treatment for his growth hormone disorder at the age of 13
The Mediterranean diet — high in fat and protein but low in carbohydrates — has become extremely popular in recent years, with a plethora of studies touting its benefits for longevity, reducing frailty and warding off cancer.
Emphasizing olive oil, nuts and fish, as well as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, it has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including cardiovascular disease and longer lifespans.
Nutrition is also great for long-term energy, maintaining muscle strength and controlling weight – all crucial factors for an athlete of Messi’s level.
Stay of course
Messi has occasionally thrown up on the field during matches and many feared it was a sign he couldn’t handle the immense pressure he was under at times.
In an interview with La Cornisa in 2018, the Argentine revealed that his vomiting was due to his poor diet.
In his younger days at FC Barcelona, Messi reportedly suffered from an addiction to soft drinks.
“I ate badly for many years: chocolates, fizzy drinks and everything,” he said, saying that the bad feeling he would get on the field was the result of his bad eating habits.
It got to a point where then-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola removed lemonade vending machines from training areas to keep them away from the youngster.
Mr Poser instructed Messi to eliminate fizzy drinks from his diet, along with other commodities such as alcohol, fizzy drinks, flour, red meat and refined wheat from his meals.
The nutritionist put special emphasis on sugar: “It’s the worst thing for the muscles. The further he stays away from sugar, the better.”
He added: “Refined flours are also a big problem as it is difficult to find uncontaminated wheat these days.”
Messi has now replaced lemonade with yerba mate tea, a popular choice among other soccer players including Uruguayan star Luis Suarez and French star and World Cup final opponent Antoine Griezmann.
The traditional South American caffeinated beverage is usually served hot, but can also be made into an iced tea. As a stimulant, it improves concentration, improves mood, and may improve sleep.
It also contains polyphenol antioxidants that — similar to green tea — help with weight loss and keep Messi’s 159-pound physique in shape.
The vitamins B and C in the drink also play an important role in metabolism and in keeping the immune system healthy.
Alongside the tea, Mr Poser encouraged Messi to take Bach flowers to combat stress and anxiety and put him in the best match mentality.
Bach flower remedies are believed to restore balance between the mind and body by targeting the limbic system — an area of the brain that deals with emotions, memories, and arousal.
His 5’6′ height had to be stimulated with growth hormones, but Messi was later able to reach speeds in excess of 20mph, placing him among the 15 fastest footballers in history