There was speculation about how well Messi would perform this season and whether he would lack motivation but these doubts proved to be unfounded, as was clear in the recent Gamper Trophy. With just five training sessions under his belt Messi delighted the Camp Nou fans and wowed the international press once more.
The opposition have every reason to be concerned by what Luis Enrique had to say afterwards: "Messi and Neymar are looking even more spectacular than in previous years." In the Catalan capital they are quietly confident this year will see a repeat performance of the 2010 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, when a trio of Barça players, namely Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, were in the top three. Josep Maria Bartomeu is adamant, "Messi, Neymar and Suárez deserve to be the three Ballon d'Or finalists".
The world is at Messi's feet it would seem, with the exception of Argentina where the debate rages on. In his home country they have to contend with the fact that they have the best player on the planet, tempered by the frustration of not seeing the forward produce the same form at international level. One half of Argentina is in raptures over the star when he plays for Barça whilst the other half holds their arms up in despair when they see 'La Albiceleste' lose.
Now Messi only has one game on his mind, next Tuesday's UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla in Tbilisi. His sights are squarely on the first trophy of the new season.
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