Has Lionel Messi begun to lose his lustre?

Lionel Messi has become an extremely familiar name in the football community. Partially stemming from his stellar performances when playing for FC Barcelona, some even consider him to be the best competitor in the history of the sport. Of course, statistics do not lie in this sense. He was a lynchpin of the Barcelona team and many home fans were understandably disappointed when he failed to renew his contract.

However, this actually made a significant amount of sense. Messi is still a relatively young player and when he departed, it seemed as if only the skies were the limit. Unfortunately, things soon began to change when he eventually signed with Paris Saint-Germain. What exactly has taken place? Why is he not performing at his peak? Might Messi have finally reached the top of his game? Let’s quickly examine these three important questions.

A poor performance

Many football fans who choose to bet with Betfair will keep a close eye on the statistics associated with players such as Lionel Messi. In this case, they have become somewhat disappointed as of late. At the time that this article was written, Messi was able to score a meagre two goals during a total of 19 competitions. This is hardly the same player who led FCB to the pinnacle of the Champions League on several occasions. So, what might have gone wrong?

Culture shock?

We need to remember that Messi played with Barcelona for a total of 16 years. He was also the top player of the team throughout the majority of this time. A move to Paris would therefore (understandably) represent a bit of a shock. There are also rumours that Messi has had a difficult time adjusting to the culture of France as well as living in an extremely large city such as Paris. While he may very well to appear superhuman on the pitch, it is crucial to note that adjusting to an entirely new atmosphere will likely take a bit of time.

A purported return to Barcelona

There have also been hints that Messi may be mulling a return to Camp Nou. Although nothing has been confirmed as of yet, such a move does not seem to be entirely out of the question when we take into account his previous loyalty to the team. Barcelona fans would certainly enjoy such a surprise, as FCB has been struggling to make ends meet ever since his departure. The good news is that sports betting programs such as the Betfair app will enable Barcelona fans to remain one step ahead of the game.

One major question still looms over the heads of many fans. Might Messi have already peaked? At 35 years of age, this is not entirely out of the question. It nonetheless appears as if adapting to a new team and a novel environment has had an impact upon his skills. We will have to see whether he is able to get his head back into the game. If so, we might very well still witness great things from this one-of-a-kind professional.

Has Lionel Messi begun to lose his lustre?