The tired legs that make the greatest footballing brain work
6 min readNew JerseyUpdated: Jun 23, 2026 07:35 AM IST Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul are not just structural parts of the same sentence, but de Paul is the verb that makes Messi the subject moving. Messi can be watched in isolation, at walking pace, with an impermeable halo around him, a fulfilling experience in itself. But to admire Messi, the viewer should admire de Paul too. It is difficult because they are not often together, not in each other’s shadows, not indulging in one-twos or interplays, and not passing the ball to each other or assisting. But you miss de Paul, you miss part of Messi too. To watch de Paul is to watch where Messi should have been; to understand de Paul is to understand what Messi should have been doing. Messi roams, but de Paul ensures that he leaves no vacuum. He fills the space. Messi doesn’t press. He needn’t, because there is de Paul pressing for two men. Messi doesn’t run, because de Paul is running for him, covering his …
