The Argentine legend, currently representing Inter Miami in MLS, has built a career around outclassing opponents, showcasing superior talent with his nimble footwork. This prowess has led to an impressive collection of accolades, including four Champions League titles and eight Ballon d’Or awards, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in history.

Messi’s exceptional cognitive processing speed is renowned, setting him apart not only in the realm of sports but also in intellectual spheres. At 36 years old, he possesses the remarkable ability to swiftly assess situations and determine the optimal course of action, a quality that contributes to his unparalleled success on and off the field.

Jana Martinez-Piqueras, who is a specialist on gifted capabilities and the president of Indifferent Minds, has told Marca of a unique South American character: “Yes, it is believed that Messi can be [considered] a person with a high intellectual capacity. Historically these people have always been associated with a number, a test result, a high IQ. But this is a completely obsolete paradigm. At the level of science, it is no longer sustainable. It’s clear that he has multiple cognitive abilities combined. And then there is the most important thing: Messi, like people with highly gifted capacities, changes the environment in which he intervenes. If anyone thinks that everything Messi did on the pitch is because he rotates his ankle very well, they are wrong. There are a lot of athletes with high ability that go undetected, excellent athletes who have not been taught the cognitive part. And what you don’t work on, becomes extinct.”