2 years ago
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Lionel "Leo" Messi is present a FIFA World Cup winner, apt cementing his presumption successful the eyes of astir shot fans arsenic 1 of his sport's greatest players ever.
The 35-year-old Argentine has a afloat stocked trophy case, including a grounds 7 Ballon d'Or awards, fixed to the planetary shot subordinate of the twelvemonth by French quality mag France Football. The lone large point missing was a World Cup trophy until Sunday, erstwhile Messi's Argentina defeated France successful a 4-2 punishment shootout aft an extra-time thriller.
But being recognized arsenic the GOAT — which stands for top subordinate of each clip — has ne'er been Messi's goal.
"It doesn't alteration thing for maine to beryllium the champion oregon not," Messi told France Football past year. "And I ne'er tried to be, either."
Instead of dreaming of shot superstardom arsenic a child, helium focused connected achieving smaller goals, completing 1 astatine a clip earlier moving onto the next, helium said.
"I fought for my dreams," Messi said. "At first, it was to beryllium a nonrecreational player. Then, I tried to surpass myself and execute caller goals each year."
The attack whitethorn dependable familiar: It's reminiscent of scientist Carol Dweck's mentation of the maturation mindset, which posits that endowment is lone a starting point.
"In a maturation mindset, radical judge that their astir basal abilities tin beryllium developed done dedication and hard work," Dweck wrote successful her 2015 survey titled "Growth."
Many non-athletes champion their ain versions of the maturation mindset, from billionaire Mark Cuban to histrion Will Smith. Studies amusement that students who are taught the "growth mindset" by educators are capable to improve their trial scores much than their peers, implicit time.
Of course, Messi has ever been a talented athlete, adjacent arsenic an undersized child who was diagnosed with maturation hormone deficiency astatine property 11. But the diminutive superstar, who stands astatine 5-foot-7, is consistently adamant that a beardown enactment ethic has been his cardinal to continued success.
He puts successful long days of training, "day aft day, twelvemonth aft year," to support improving connected the shot pitch, he's noted successful past interviews. And contempt agelong being recognized arsenic a planetary superstar, it took him astir 16 years implicit 5 World Cup tournaments to yet onshore his elusive prize.
The caller trophy adds to his important collection, alongside the hefty income he's pulled successful implicit his 18-year career. He's the world's highest paid jock of 2022, making roughly $130 million this year, according to Forbes.
That includes a astir $75 cardinal basal wage from his nine team, Paris Saint-Germain, and $55 cardinal from endorsements and different off-field endeavors, Forbes estimates.
In different words, being the champion is precise lucrative. But successful his interrogation with France Football, Messi maintained that being among the game's all-time greats was ne'er his archetypal intent — rather, it was the result of hard enactment amplifying innate endowment implicit the people of galore years.
"For me, conscionable being capable to beryllium considered oregon cited arsenic 1 of the champion players successful the satellite is much than enough," helium said. "It is thing that I would ne'er person dared to ideate oregon imagination of."
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