Before we start, I'm not a football fan.

FIFA just hits different, because it's the only time I tune in to the sport and growing up, Argentina has been my family's go-to team because of Maradona and Messi. We like Messi cause he's humble and he gets the job done.

This year could be his last world cup appearance, and I've realised that the FIFA conspiracy theorists (Fix It For Argentina, lol) are louder. As a result, I entered a rabbit hole to understand people's frustration towards Messi's dominance this world cup (despite his age), and what we can learn from that as creatives.

Facts, not feelings

I won't cover the deep, technical aspects of the sports because I don't have the knowledge for it, but I will explore the statistics. To note, Messi (aka the GOAT) is still kicking at 39 years old when the general consensus for retirement in football is ~35 years old. Based off FIFA's statistics, there are only 8 players above the age of 40 this FIFA. Of the 8, Cristiano Ronaldo (also a popular GOAT) is one of them and he was eliminated, while ~4 others are goalkeepers (who apparently age more gracefully in the sport).

If that's not surprising enough, Messi is also currently tied for the Golden Boot award next to 28 year old French powerhouse, Kylian Mbappé. That's more than a decade's difference btw. One could argue that it's Mbappé that's the gem here and that's fair. But my point is that there's no denying how Messi still performs on an outstanding level.

But how?

The elephant in the room is that he's Him, and many football legends agree: Thierry Henry, Pelé, Zlatan, Neymar and even his own rival, Ronaldo.

Clearly, the man has earned his stripes through talent, but football is a team sport and I wanted to understand the external factors too. So, I went nerd mode to watch his game analyses over the years and found 3 reasons why he's still a force of nature.

1. Good coaches help you evolve

I'm sure there are many that have contributed to Messi's evolution, but two major figures that the public tend to agree on are Pep Guardiola and Lionel Scaloni because they made changes which were pivotal to his career as a footballer leading up to this FIFA.

Just like any creative campaign needs a project manager, an international team needs a football manager. From what I've gathered, Pep Guardiola is the man who began positioning Messi as an offensive midfielder from a right winger – I'll explain that in a bit.

Pep's decision has been personally acknowledged by Messi, to be one of the best eras of his football career. He won a collection of awards under him, and it's why Pep's decision to position Messi as an offensive midfielder (or "false nine") enabled him to orchestrate attacks with his team and dictate the pace of the game.

2. Tactical Positioning

Alright, remember how Messi was a right winger? It's an aggressive role which requires elite athleticism and tactical skillsets to thrive in a high-pressure and physically demanding environment. Think Isagi in Blue Lock.

In creative terms, it's like handling conflict against competitive executives, then presenting the work to clients and implementing their preferences on a daily basis with your team. Except the "work" is the ball.

It's an exhausting role, and Messi excelled in it in his youth. However, as the years went by, he became more prone to injuries which dulled his performance. It's why the decision to have him play as a midfielder was so pivotal. With that in mind, he's not as explosive as he once was. He often walks and looks uninvolved on the field and gets meme'd on for this.

But based on interviews with other players and fan observations, it's his method of winning. By conserving energy, he's able to analyse the field and predict his opponent's movements in seconds before launching deadly attacks. On top of that, he's able to stay in the game longer with sharper reflexes by moving tactically – like a hitman waiting for the perfect moment.

3. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships"

While Messi's always been a rising star, he was often compared to his predecessor, Maradona, due to his "inability" to secure the world cup. This wasn't until Lionel Scaloni stepped in to coach the national team, and under his leadership, Argentina won their third FIFA World Cup in 2022 after 36 years. What Scaloni did for Argentina wasn't just to revolve the entire team around Messi, but rather cultivating a strong team dynamic which allowed them to cover each other's blindspots.

With that synergy, they won the Copa America in 2024, displaying their teamwork and tactical versatility in a system that will continue to work even if Messi retires. And now, here they are playing in the semi-finals in the world cup 2 years later. To me, that says that he isn't only focused on winning right now, but instead cultivating the seeds of tomorrow to future-proof their victories and I think that's the type of leader most would put their faith in.

So how does this tie back to creativity?

Messi at 39 isn't defying age. He's the byproduct of good decisions over the decades in the form of great coaches, a supportive team, the right role and decisive moves moulded by years of hard work and exposure.

Most creatives burn out playing the wrong position. Taking every brief, handling every client, doing every job because nobody told them they didn't have to. I know this because that was the position I had to play, and I think of that as the right winger phase: explosive, relentless, but unsustainable in the long run. But I do believe it was the rite of passage.

The shift happens when you stop performing for everyone and focus where your strengths actually compound. If you aren't sure what those are, the best way to find out is to work on a passion project. Run with intention, understand client problems deeply, and use quick bursts of energy where it matters most.

Half of being creative is exactly that. Staying curious, being observant and shooting the ball on instinct. Nowadays, production speeds are faster and more cost effective too, and that means we can use the time to sharpen our goals and vision.