Lionel Messi is a name that is synonymous with football brilliance. He is widely considered as one of the greatest players to ever play the game and his on-field skills are nothing short of extraordinary. His ability to weave in and out of defenders, his stunning runs and mind-blowing goals have left many football fans and fellow players in awe. One of the defining features of Messi’s game is his incredible dribbling skills, which have earned him the nickname “La Pulga” meaning “The Flea” in English.
How tall is Lionel Messi?
At 5ft, 7in or 1.70m, Messi is not known for a physical style of play, instead, he uses his low center of gravity to play a free-flowing game that enables him to effortlessly dribble through and around defenders. Messi’s small frame is a result of a condition he was diagnosed with at the age of 11, Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), which can affect an individual’s height. He was just 4ft, 2in or 1.27m at the time of his diagnosis, but daily hormone injections helped him reach his current height.
This condition also affected Messi’s club future. According to Messi’s father, Jorge, as quoted in a profile of Messi by The Independent, Messi’s hometown club Newell’s Old Boys had originally promised to pay for the extremely expensive treatment, but after Argentina’s economy collapsed later in 1998, the club backed out of the deal. Spanish club Barcelona stepped up and eventually Messi made the move to Catalonia. The rest as they say is history.
Lionel Messi headers: Is he good in the air?
While Messi’s dribbling skills are unparalleled, he is not known for his aerial abilities. He rarely scores with his head, but he did so famously in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United. In 2021/22 with PSG he won 63% of his aerial duels, a fantastic rate, but that came on an extremely low volume, winning just one aerial duel every five matches. In his final season in Spain’s La Liga (2020/21), he won just 42% of his aerial duels at a similar volume.
Lionel Messi’s nickname
In conclusion, Lionel Messi’s height has been a talking point throughout his career, but his small frame has not stopped him from becoming one of the greatest football players of all time. His unique style of play and incredible dribbling skills have earned him the nickname “La Pulga” and have left many defenders in his wake. Despite his aerial limitations, Messi continues to amaze fans and fellow players with his brilliance on the field, cementing his place in the annals of football history.
