After the Records, Lionel Messi Still Has Relevance to Barcelona's Future

Given the autumn that Lionel Messi has enjoyed, a hat-trick in the 5-1 over Espanyol, which saw him supplant Cesar Rodriguez as the top goalscorer in Catalan derbies, as per Goal Argentina (in Spanish), almost rates as a quiet weekend.

Having nailed the La Liga and Champions League all-time goalscoring records in November, that he now tops 400 goals for the Blaugrana in all competitions and stands level on the former highest amount of Liga hat-tricks with Alfredo Di Stefano and Telmo Zarra on 22 (a barrier surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, this weekend) are almost anecdotal details.

The flurry of records is handy. They give shape and definition to a phenomenon that we have run out of ways to express our admiration for. As his teammate Gerard Pique—also a goalscorer against Espanyol—said in this post-match television interview, courtesy of AS (in Spanish), there are no words to describe Messi.

Yet Messi’s enduring brilliance deserves more than this. Our wonder should not be about where he stands in history. That can wait until he has retired, and the numbers in progress have become daunting definitives for future generations to chase.

The recent records have moved the discussion on from talk of Messi’s level having dropped back to celebration of his genius. In the tumult of superlatives, where he’s currently at in terms of fitness, form and his role in the team has almost gone unnoticed.

Lest we forget, his father (and agent) Jorge was moved to put an end to speculation of him leaving Camp Nou just a few weeks ago, describing “reading between the lines” of his son’s words leading to “exaggeration,” per La Vanguardia (via Reuters). Several factors had been suggested as possible reasons for Messi to consider pastures new, including the departure of coach Gerardo Martino, the release of his close friend (and back-up goalkeeper) Jose Manuel Pinto and even the arrival of Luis Suarez.

The effect of these things on Messi is pure speculation. What is tangible—and more relevant that even the widescreen numbers—is the here and now. After Ronaldo’s lightning start to the campaign had dwarfed the apparently meagre (!) seven league goals that Messi had notched by mid-November, the myth that the Argentina man was ready to slip back into the ranks of mere mortals gathered pace.

It was always nonsense, of course. Hat-tricks in two out of the last three La Liga games have contributed to a total of 11 in the last six appearances in all competitions. Even in the so-called dry spell, Messi had provided seven assists.

His relevance to Barca is about more than the raw figures, though. At 27, he is still changing, evolving. It had to be that way, with his body paying the price, as an edition of L’Equipe put it last year, for never taking a rest.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press/Associated Press

Now, he has two lieutenants to share the burden in Neymar and Luis Suarez, players who have been used to taking matters in hand throughout their footballing lives, and with prodigious work rates to boot. Their efforts mean that Messi can more effectively pace his own.

The relationship between Messi and Neymar in particular has been something to behold in the opening weeks of the season. One wondered how the introduction of Suarez, stellar player that he is, might affect the equilibrium when he returned from suspension. Yet he is already clicking superbly with the existing star pair, even if the frustration of waiting for his first La Liga goal is beginning to burn.

Messi is as relevant to Barcelona’s present and future as all his previous contributions were to a glittering last decade. Whether he proves it or not in this week’s gala Champions League face-off with Paris Saint-Germain, let’s put the idea that a change would be good for both parties to bed, once and for all.