Lionel Messi scored five goals for the first time in ten years last season.
It was for Argentina against Estonia, not for Paris Saint-Germain, where he netted only six league goals in 26 appearances after joining from Barcelona. It was Messi’s lowest score since the 2005-06 season, when he was only 18 years old.
Although his 14 assists for PSG were second only to teammate Kylian Mbappe in the league, the record seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s showing fell far short of expectations for a man who scored 672 goals for Barcelona.
That staggering total included an incredible 50-goal league season in 2012, 46 in 2013, eight Spanish league scoring titles, and six in the Champions League. He scored five goals against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 at the peak of his ability.
Fast forward a decade, and his goal tally for PSG sparked concerns about his ability to adapt to a new system after spending so much time with brilliant players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, and Neymar.
🔴🔵PSG’s Lionel Messi Perfect Start to the Season;
⚽️ Scores a Brilliant Goal
🎖 Wins MOTM Award
🏆 Wins 41st Career Trophy🐐 The Goat#Messi𓃵 I #TDC2022 I #PSGFCN pic.twitter.com/OWOJu00u13
— #ChampionsLeague (@alimo_philip) July 31, 2022
“The idea for him is to be more involved in the game and have teammates bond with him during games, which didn’t happen much last season. The more the team is connected, the more the team produces,” PSG’s new coach Christophe Galtier said. “From what I’ve seen, he’s totally invested. As for the rest, the whole world knows what he can do.”
Related: Messi, Neymar and Ramos Scores As PSG Lift Trophee Des Champions
While Messi had a difficult season last year, some have speculated that he has been conserving energy for this year’s World Cup.
At 35, it is likely that this will be his final chance to win it with his beloved Argentina. The tournament’s unique date of Nov. 21-Dec. 18, to avoid the summer heat in Qatar, also means he’ll come with considerably fresher legs than if it were held in June or July.
Messi was instrumental in Argentina’s Copa America victory last year, finishing co-top scorer with four goals and first with five assists. It ended Messi’s long quest for a major international trophy after he lost one World Cup final and three other Copa America finals.
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