Why Lionel Messi is nicknamed ‘La Pulga’?
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Lionel Messi leading Argentina at the FIFA World Cup celebrations
Many great footballers in the history of football are given nicknames. These names sometimes represent the unique traits or characters of the players. Sometimes these are expressions of pure love from fans. Cristiano Ronaldo is famous in Spain as ‘El Bicho.’. Similarly, fans call former Barcelona superstar Luis Suarez ‘ El Pistolero,’.
Lionel Messi is called “La Pulga” by his hard-core fans across the globe. Although, what does the term mean? The Argentine legend picked his nickname in his youth days. Messi was called ‘Pulguita,’ which translates to “the Atomic flea” or “little flea” in English. The nickname was given to him because of his small size and elegant style of playing.
The Argentine prodigy adapted to this name since he was a child as his brothers named him “La Pulgita“. His small stature and static way of dribbling earned Messi the title, ‘La Pulga”. He has grown up to become one of the greatest footballers of this generation, and arguably of all time. The Spanish media often calls the Argentine star “La Pulga Atomica’. This means they call Messi an explosive player with a tiny presence on the pitch.
The 35-year-old is renowned for the way he eases past defenders. His dribbling skills have evolved through the years. Lionel Messi still takes on defenders like it’s nothing. He is one of the greatest dribblers of all time. Many believe Lionel Messi is so good with the ball because of his height which allows him to move more quickly.
Still one of the shortest players on the pitch, Lionel Messi has always been a threat to defenders with his shoulder drops or line-breaking dribbles. Not long ago, Lionel Messi suffered from Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD). He overcame his medical condition early in his career and became a game legend.
Lionel Messi; the hero of Argentina
The 35-year-old footballer has filled the streets of Argentina with joy and celebrations. The PSG starlet won his first FIFA World Cup with a well-organized Argentina national team. Lionel Messi was the star of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as he went home with the World Cup trophy and the golden ball award. He won Argentina’s first World Cup in 36 years.
Stars like Angel Di Maria, Emiliano Martinez, and Julian Alvarez were rightly guided by their team captain. Argentina won the tournament’s final against France in a fight for the ages. After a long battle against the reigning champions, Argentina lifted the World Cup for the very first time in this century.
Lionel Messi has broken numerous records in the past few weeks after a splendid run at the FIFA World Cup. He scored seven goals and assisted 3 to lead Argentina to their third World Cup title. The little kid from Rosario fulfilled many dreams after winning against France in the final. The Barcelona legend made his country proud and finally won the first World Cup of his career.
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Aviral Srivastava
(288 Articles Published)