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What makes Messi so brilliant?

Lionel Messi’s magical left foot has produced four World Cup goals this tournament, but he’s been most lethal with his free kicks. Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, victim to one of those free kicks to goal, jokingly asked the referees during the break to not give Messi any more free kicks.

RIO DE JANEIRO – A four-time world player of the year, Argentina’s Lionel Messi is gifted with talents that most footballers only can dream of. What makes him special is that he possesses not just one or two but a combination of special skills that give him an edge over just about everyone.

Although he hasn’t played brilliantly in every game of this World Cup, Messi’s talents – accuracy, balance, intelligence, patience, speed – have been on display on Argentina’s road to Sunday’s final against Germany. Here are five traits that explain what makes the Argentina captain so difficult to stop.

Accuracy

Messi is one of the world’s top free-kick takers, striking the ball with impressive accuracy with his magical left foot. Almost always, he hits the target or just misses it – you rarely see Messi blast a free kick five meters over the crossbar.

Balance

Like former Argentina great Diego Maradona, Messi uses his short stature to his advantage. His low center of gravity enables him to make quick turns and to stay on his feet when challenged. Often, the only way to knock him off balance is to foul him.

Intelligence

Messi also stands out for his ability to read the game, mapping out paths to the opponent’s goal in his mind before the opponent does. That’s key to understanding why he’s such a prolific scorer: Knowing by instinct where a gap will open up for a quick pass or shot gives him an advantage over others.

Patience

Patience perhaps is an underrated virtue for a football player, and it’s one that has served Messi well in the World Cup. Every opponent has come with a plan to stop him, by closing down his space and tackling him as soon as he touches the ball. As a result, Messi has looked out of the game for long periods. But instead of hanging his head and getting frustrated, Messi keeps looking for openings, patiently awaiting a moment when defenders take their focus off him for just a split second; that’s when he strikes.

Speed

There are plenty of players who could outrun Messi in a 100-meter dash, but running with the ball is a different story. Messi can control the ball at close to top speed. Also, it’s his acceleration rather than his top speed that cuts up defenses. Few defenders can keep up when Messi revs up from standstill, creating space for his left-footed shot.

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