FORGET RONALDO AND HAALAND... IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE MAGIC MESSI

YES, the Premier League remains compelling and is riveting viewing, but if you are not keeping up to date with the fortunes of Paris Saint-Germain this season, you are missing out.

You are missing out on the enduring, mindboggling brilliance of Lionel Messi.

Sometimes, apropos of not very much, it is worth taking a moment to contemplate the genius of Messi and one such moment came after he scored twice and assisted twice in PSG’s 7-2 demolition of Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League.

It was Messi’s 50th appearance for PSG and he marked it with, among other things of beauty, an outside-ofthe-boot finish for the first goal that summed up his unique excellence.

There has never been a more instinctive, creative,

ingenious player than Messi (below). He is truly special, which is why it will be a shame if – as seems likely – he will see out his career without playing in the Premier League.

Not a shame for him, of course. Not one bit.

What he did for a great club such as Barcelona was truly remarkable and his legacy will not have been reduced by one iota if he hangs up his boots without having played English club football.

But a shame for us, a shame we could not watch this magician produce his sorcery week in, week out first hand.

The statistics are jaw-dropping – the two against Maccabi means Messi now has 129 Champions League goals, only 11 behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s total.

And, while over here in our blinkered world, we all slaver over the possibility of

Erling Haaland (right) breaking all sorts of records, remember when Messi scored 91 goals in the calendar year of 2012? Yep, NINETY-ONE. But the measure of Messi’s greatness is that the statistics do not tell even half the story.

They don’t tell you about his vision, about his impudence, about a technical level that is above all others. Qatar 2022 will be Messi’s last World Cup, but there could still be another stage or two of his club career.

His PSG contract expires in the summer of 2023, roughly at the same time he turns 36. There are, maybe, three more club seasons left in his legs.

The popular opinion is Messi will head back to his spiritual home in Catalonia, but perhaps a Premier League club – Manchester City being an obvious candidate – might take a long shot.

That would be great, but the chances are that a long and truly magical career will end without Messi playing in the Premier League.

But that should not stop us all from occasionally taking a moment to celebrate his greatness.

Wherever he finishes his career, he will remain a true one-off.