It’s a bit like what happened to the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan – Guillem Balague likens Lionel Messi to NBA legend

Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague has drawn comparisons between Lionel Messi and former NBA legend Michael Jordan. Messi scored 11 goals and provided 15 assists for PSG Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 in the previous season as he failed to hit the ground running after making a move from Barcelona.

However, Messi has returned to his absolute best in the ongoing season for the Parisians. The Argentine has scored seven goals and eight assists in 12 matches across all competitions. Messi has been at his best for the French club, which is a big positive for them.

The 35-year-old also scored from the free kick spot in the recent match against OGC Nice on October 1.

Meanwhile, Messi has always remained down to earth despite all the fame and the records. The talisman has claimed that he doesn’t consider himself the greatest player of all time, just as Michael Jordan used to think.

Guillen Balague said as quoted by PSGtalks, “Of course, his adaptation to Parisian life explains a lot. But when you give the keys to the truck to a player like him, who sees everything faster than the others, and the team plays better, it’s not psychological, it’s tactical.

“It’s a bit like what happened to the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan when his coach Phil Jackson told him that he no longer needed to do everything, that to be better, you might have to do something different.”

Meanwhile, Messi and co. will begin their FIFA World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia on November 22. Subsequently, they will take on Mexico and Poland in Group C of the tournament. 

Messi won his first major trophy with the national team when they lifted Copa America in 2021.