Lionel Messi is the opposite definition of the popular saying that “empty vessels make the most noise,” he is one of the introverts in football who believes in talking with his legs other than the mouth. The five-time Balon d’Or winner might not be your regular spendthrift kind of footballer but his noiseless, yet loud accomplishments have earned him millions of stalwart supporters all over the world. The Argentine’s ‘noiseless’ and simple lifestyle can be traced to his home. One will expect one of the best footballers if not the best in the world to live in an elaborate apartment barricaded with world-class securities just like other famous sportsmen awash in fame, but the Barcelona playmaker still lives in a simple house like every other regular person. “The avenue has withered trees, a crumbling sidewalk or two and a Continental feel. There are uneven curbs and cars parked at unusual angles. Occasionally, the postman mixes up whose mail goes in which box and one of Messi’s neighbors accidentally gets an electric bill that runs about $1,200 per month,” a quote about the footballer read.
And we ask why does someone who earns 100 million euros annually live in such a shabby place amidst the affluence at his beck and call? Permit me to say that the 30-year old forward is living the best life that is envied by his contemporaries. Messi’s lifestyle will earn him more when he retires from the beautiful game. When all the lights and cameras stop flashing on his face, when the weekly whooping sum stops to hit his account on a weekly basis, when the fans all over the world stop chanting his name on their screens. He won’t be affected by those, because he was never influenced by them during his prime.
Messi comes to mind for the good reasons when you listen to Jay-Z’s ‘Story of OJ’ where the American legendary rapper pulled an interesting narrative. “You wanna know what’s more important than throwin’ away money at a strip club? Credit, You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This how they did it Financial freedom,” reads the punch line. Yes, Messi has gained all the financial freedoms there is. A research by ESPN has it that an average sportsperson goes financially bankrupt between the first to fifth year after their retirement which was buttressed in one of their shows titled ‘Broke.’ It is as a result of their extravagant lifestyle which they try to keep up to with a scanty or no income following retirement. Messi’s lifestyle already opts him out from that category as he is only familiar with two things, ‘football and making a family.’ Those, matter most to him!