Another Reason to Love Lionel Messi

The Sensible Soccer Community has yet another reason to tip its cap to Lionel Messi. On Sunday, the Barcelona superstar broke the 40-year old record for goals in a calendar year when he scored his 86th against Real Betis. It was a classic Messi goal. Quick movement, close control, decisive passing, a little help from Iniesta, and a clinical finish.

The previous record holder, German legend Gerd Muller, had nothing but praise for Messi, hailing the diminutive Argentinean "incredible" and "gigantic." And how could you say anything else, really? At just 25, Messi has already proven himself to be one the all-time greats. But as this excellent NY Times article discusses, the stats don't even come close to encompassing his brilliance. He epitomizes everything that's beautiful about the beautiful game, and he does it with a humbleness that sets him apart from most of his peers.

As his former manager Pep Guardiola astutely stated, "Don’t try to write about him. Don’t try to describe him. Watch him." With that in mind, check out this awesome video that might help you understand just why Messi is the greatest.

Lionel Messi Never Dives