Arguably the best player ever to touch a football field, Lionel Messi has played at a professional level since his adolescent years. When he originally joined FC Barcelona’s youth team, he hadn’t pictured the fame and prominence he would soon reap. His 418 million Instagram followers and “G.O.A.T. status” don’t even relatively account for his current stature. After recently completing his “perfect trophy” feat with a World Cup win, he now has the most liked picture on Instagram that holds the same value as the epic Diego Maradona picture taken back in 1986. 

His stardom and athletic accomplishments make him one of the most renowned athletes and/or public figures in the world. He serves as a role model for millions of kids and is constantly idolized. His role as a professional puts immense pressure on him to be a perfect athlete, father, and public figure. However, does being a professional athlete automatically make him responsible for all of this? What decides his responsibility to the rest of the world? 

The initial answer is no, it’s not his responsibility and he doesn’t have any obligations to the public. He was just a young boy from Rosario when he made his La Liga debut and didn’t know what the future would entail. There was  always a chance to turn around and say no, I don’t want this to be my life. However for Messi, it was all he’d dreamt of. 

Coming from a football-loving, poor middle class family, Messi was denied any luxurious benefits in his development. Growing up, Messi suffered from growth hormone deficiency, which impaired his growth and development. His parents’ poor economic status denied him any proper treatment, nonetheless, his football abilities were quickly noticed by one of the best soccer clubs in the world: FC Barcelona. They offered him a spot on their team, and even sponsored his much needed medical treatments at just 13 years old. 

Always striving to be the best, Messi broke record after record and began to win trophy after trophy. His misfortune quickly rose to fame, and he was now considered to be the greatest football player in the world — not only at that time, but ever. His 6 Ballon d’Ors and 42 glamorous club and country trophies have inspired children from around the world to be like him. With all eyes on him, it’s of great importance for Messi to set a quality example for younger children. It’s completely his responsibility to act as a role model because he’s constantly in the public eye, can influence public opinion through his popularity, and is given the resources to help others. 

I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single person that doesn’t know who Messi is. His influence on the world is prominent and although he’s not particularly loved by everyone, he’s definitely respected. With this, he needs to hold himself responsible because everything he does is watched. His actions influence the rest of society and their own opinions. When you have that much power and promise, you have to be cautious of the threatening consequences. After watching Messi play, kids go out and try out the new skills he used, or even try to master his nearly perfect free kick technique; I would know, I was one of them. His immense social media popularity is then shown through the Encara Messi sound from the announcer during his incredible goal against Getafe. The sound itself has racked up 95,000 videos and counting; even if videos didn’t implement the sound, they were still watched by millions of Tik Tok and Instagram users. 

His public appearance guides children towards more positive lifestyles, but can also contrastingly have detrimental effects. This shows the control he has, and how it’s solely his responsibility to not abuse it. 

Similarly, the influence Messi has on children is the same as charities and industries. 

His jerseys are the most sold each year, while he also makes Adidas more than $10 million a year through his sponsorships. Not only does this show the rest of the world’s willingness to purchase Lionel Messi items, but it portrays the sphere of influence he has on the industry itself. The responsibility is written for him, but he has upheld it incredibly well, making him a much more remarkable figure. 

His accountability as a professional and social awareness has a positive impact on society for his selfless acts. Most athletes don’t worry about the rest of society and the public, while Messi gives back to the community. Without being forced into this standard, he’s aware of the responsibility he has to the people because of the fortunate resources he’s given for his extraordinary abilities. 

Messi’s $620 million net worth allowed him to create the Messi foundation which invests in health-care services to improve children’s lives. Similarly, dating back to the Covid 19 pandemic, Messi donated around one million euro for the clinical and healthcare support in Argentina, while also making various donations to multiple social causes. 

Many worldwide professional athletes use their money for themselves and that goes unnoticed. However, Messi being one of the greatest soccer players of all time, doesn’t allow him to get away with that. Although he didn’t necessarily sign up for this aspect of his soccer career, he has a duty and a right to continue to inspire the public through his acts of kindness and selflessness. He needs to act as a role model for younger generations to be good citizens and help others because if he does, they’ll follow directly in his footsteps.