I never say it and it seems like the worst moment, considering ^ , but Messi is almost his own sport. Only he, not even Ronnie or prime Zidane, can have me glued to my seat, following every single movement he makes with the ball, whether it be on a HD TV screen or on a shitty russian stream.
That feeling almost went away in the dark period when he struggled with injuries, and I guess I wasn't alone then judging by the forum meltdowns at the time.
All is well now. Barcelona's elite level (or lack thereof) won't hinder his gigantic legacy