5 Things to Learn from Lionel Messi

Lionel Andres Messi Cuccitini has ended Argentina's 36-year-old drought for the 'Copa Mundial'. He came close in 2014 to winning the World Cup on Brazilian soil but he came up short as Mario Gotze scored the winner in the 118th minute to end his dream. The FIFA World Cup final was followed by another two Copa America final losses at the hands of Chile. However, Messi has won back-to-back international trophies: the continental trophy Copa America in 2021, the intercontinental championship 2022 Finalissima and now the World Cup. Messi has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest of all time (GOAT).

Here are five things to learn from the diminutive Argentine:

Success takes Time

Messi was signed by Argentinian club Newell's Old Boys age of 13. He made his debut for the first team of FC Barcelona in 2004. There were signs of a great player in the making but he was far from the player he is present day. He has worked at his craft all his life and continues to do so despite being considered one of the greats to have graced the game.

"It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success."

Improvement is Possible, Always

Improvement is something that is always expected from everyone. An entrepreneur is expected to improve his/her business knowledge and skills. Even though there were signs of greatness from Messi, it took constant work and improvement on his side to attain his stature. He is widely regarded as the best there is to play the game and he has attained that with constant improvement and working day in and day out.

"The day you think there are no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player."

It is a Team Game

Messi has often been the difference between winning and losing. However, he never fails to recognize the shift that is put in by his teammates. Football is a team sport where one wins as a team and one loses as a team. Messi has always spoken highly of his teammates like Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar, Mbappe, Suarez, etc. An entrepreneur can never be successful without the support of customers and the help of his/her team.

"I'm lucky to be a part of a team who helps to make me look good and they deserve as much of the credit for my success as I do for the hard work we have all put in at the training ground."

Accept your Failures

Messi lost three back-to-back finals with Argentina and he was also part of the 8-2 thrash at the hands of Bayern Munich and 4-0 humiliation at hands of Liverpool at Anfield. One can always make excuses and shift the blame to someone else. However, there is honour in accepting that one cannot always win. Failures are a part of life and teach us an important lesson.

"Sometimes you have to accept that you cannot win all the time."

Fight for what you believe in

Messi was diagnosed with a hormone deficiency that had stopped his growth early on. He just wanted to play football and when FC Barcelona came calling, he was ecstatic since the club had agreed to pay for the treatment as well which meant he would be able to play professionally. He worked hard and attained the status of 'one of the greatest ever'. He never stopped fighting for his dream which was to play professionally. He made sacrifices of staying away from his family at the tender age of 13 to successfully make his dream a reality.

"You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it."