Leo Messi’s Barcelona captaincy came in at challenging times. Xaviesta had left, Neymar had betrayed Barcelona, and European exits had occurred at the hands of Atletico, Juventus, and Roma. Bartomeu’s Barcelona looked for a leader. Leo was thrust into this chaos, but he still carried the team through its darkest ages. Let’s discuss Messi’s leadership style and his tenure as captain of Barcelona.
Captain by Default or Destiny?
Critics always challenged Leo’s leadership. Yet, he was still handed over the captaincy role in 2018. Messi never chased the spotlight, but still had to inherit the skipper role from Iniesta. The media said he lacked the vocal presence of Xavi and Puyol, but what was the point?
You can never judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Messi has always been a player who lets his play do the talking. While we saw Messi take the mic and make some promises to fans before the season started, Leo’s real leadership was displayed on the pitch. And the performances were extraordinary. In the first season Messi received the armband, he won the Ballon d’Or with an incredible performance (50 games, 70 G/A, eight free kicks, four hat-tricks) throughout the season. Sadly, the rest of Barca failed him. The team did not provide him with a supporting cast worthy of his leadership.
Messi Carried Barca’s Broken Squad on His Back
From 2017 onwards, Messi captained Barcelona, a club in freefall due to the disastrous transfers of Coutinho, Dembele, and Griezmann. The managerial situation was also pathetic, and the financial infrastructure was crumbling.
But Messi’s numbers skyrocketed. The 2019 campaign was a one-man rescue mission. Leo’s UCL performances, especially his beautiful free kick against Liverpool, also won him the UEFA Best Forward of the Season award. Even in the 2019/20 season, in which Barca lost 8-2 to Bayern in the UCL, Messi’s overall season performance was extraordinary (44 games, 56 G/A). The board and team failed him consistently, but Leo always became Barca’s safety net. It was proof that authentic leadership is not about speeches but responsibility.
What Messi’s Leadership Lacked
While Messi performed brilliantly on the pitch, one factor of his leadership wasn’t his strongest point. Messi’s inability to gel the squad off the pitch backfired after the Anfield collapse. The locker-room divide grew, and it showed his captaincy had certain limits. Unlike Carles Puyol’s stern locker room presence, Messi’s influence in the dressing room was not the best.
Reports claimed that veterans (Piqué, Busquets) clashed with newcomers (Griezmann, Dembélé) and things got messy. Messi’s only response was to play harder, which was not the best strategy. The toxicity in the dressing room escalated, and in the end, Barcelona was left reeling in 2021.
Messi’s Leadership Comeback
And instead of fixing the situation, Laporta removed Messi himself from the team in 2021. This was the single most heartbreaking situation for every culer on Earth. Messi was left in tears and went to PSG on a mission. His tenure with Barca had ended, but Leo had something else on his mind: the 2023 Qatar World Cup.
Messi learnt from his mistakes and developed a ferocious Argentine squad with his leadership. He went into beast mode throughout the campaign, leading vocally both on and off the pitch, as well as through his performances. In the end, he won the ultimate glory by lifting the World Cup. He showed the world that if he had been given enough time, he would have resolved the Barcelona situation as well. But it was too late!