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Due to his short stature, Messi has a lower centre of gravity than
taller players, which gives him greater agility, allowing him to change
direction more quickly and evade opposing tackles; this has led the Spanish media to dub him La Pulga Atómica ("The
Atomic Flea").
Despite being physically unimposing, he possesses significant
upper-body strength, which, combined with his low centre of gravity and
resulting balance, aids him in withstanding physical challenges from
opponents; he has consequently been noted for his lack of diving in a
sport rife with playacting.
His short, strong legs allow him to excel in short bursts of
acceleration while his quick feet enable him to retain control of the
ball when dribbling at speed.
His former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola once stated, "Messi is the
only player that runs faster with the ball than he does without it."
Although he has improved his ability with his weaker foot since his
mid-20s, Messi is predominantly a left-f player; with the outside
of his left foot, he usually begins dribbling runs, while he uses the
inside of his foot to finish and give assists
A prolific goalscorer, Messi is known for his finishing, positioning,
quick reactions, and ability to make attacking runs to beat the
defensive line. He also functions in a playmaking role, courtesy of his
vision and precise passing, and is an accurate free kick and penalty
kick taker, though his ability on penalties has somewhat deteriorated in
recent seasons.
His pace and technical ability enable himto undertake individual
dribbling runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks,
usually starting from the halfway line or the right side of the pitch.
Widely considered to be the best dribbler in the world, and one of the
greatest of all time,
with regard to this ability, his former Argentina manager Diego
Maradona has said of him, "The ball stays glued to his foot; I've seen
great players in my career, but I've never seen anyone with Messi's ball
control."
Beyond his individual qualities, he is also a well-rounded,
hard-working team player, known for his creative combinations, in
particular with Barcelona midfielders players , specially Xavi and
Andrés Iniesta
Tactically, Messi plays in a free attacking role; a versatile player, he
is capable of attacking on either wing or through the centre of the
pitch. His favoured position in childhood was the playmaker behind two
strikers, known as the enganche in Argentine football, but he
began his career in Spain as a left-winger or left-sided forward. Upon
his first-team debut, he was moved onto the right wing by manager Frank
Rijkaard; from this position, he could more easily cut through the
defence into the middle of the pitch and curl shots on goal with his
left foot, rather than predominantly cross balls for teammates. Under
Guardiola and subsequent managers, he most often played in a false nine
role; positioned as a centre-forward or lone striker,
he would roam the centre, often moving deep into midfield and drawing
defenders with him, in order to create and exploit spaces for passes,
dribbling runs or combinations with Xavi and Iniesta.
Under the stewardship of Luis Enrique, Messi returned to playing in the
right-sided position that characterised much of his early career, while
also being deployed in a deeper, free role.
With the Argentina national team, Messi has similarly played anywhere
along the frontline; under various managers, he has been employed on the
right wing, as a false nine, or in a deeper, creative role as a classic
number 10 or attacking midfielder.
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