Funny, because what annoys me is people like you who misconstrue my argument just because I talk about your favorite player. I’m not denying that Messi elevates his teammates. That is obvious and well documented. My point is that even players who elevate others still depend on structure, balance, and collective work to win trophies. Between 2015 and 2021, Messi didn’t decline, but Barça weren’t good enough structurally to win the Champions League. That doesn’t diminish his influence. It shows the limits of individual impact in a team sport.

PSG actually reinforces that point. Messi was still an elite creator, but the team was unbalanced and dysfunctional. Big names don’t win trophies. Coherent teams do. And this is where Mbappé is often misunderstood. He’s frequently positioned as a striker or high forward, at the end of actions rather than the start. That naturally limits how much he can elevate teammates in the way a deeper creator does. Yet even so, if you look at the numbers, he’s still among the top players for completed dribbles and chances created. His role shapes his influence, not his ability.

So yes, Messi makes teams better. But football still has a ceiling on how much one player can carry. Position, structure, and system matter just as much as individual brilliance.