And the fact that like all top sportsmen, the Argentine is never satisfied and always wants to do better.
Messi’s astonishing abilities are not new. We have seen the him in action many times now.
We know his skills, we know the quiet, but suddenly deadly way that Messi plays and it was never better with his two assists and two goals as Barcelona beat Spurs 4-2 in the Champions League at Wembley on Wednesday night.
How does he keep doing it?
Renowned sports psychologist and mind coach Don Macpherson said: “There are not that many great athletes that can stay at the top for as long as Messi has done.
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“Most people who are at the top of their sporting profession will have a significant dip in form and confidence at some stage. But Messi is the exception.”
Macpherson has worked with top tennis stars like Pat Cash, world snooker champions, Formula 1 drivers like Ayrton Senna, top golfers and rugby players.
“The key factor with him is his humility,” said Macpherson. “He is humble. And that means he still thinks he can get better.
“People are calling Messi the perfect footballer. Perfection is an interesting concept. I used to work with a top Formula 1 driver. One time he drove a perfect practice lap and was in pole position for the race itself by a mile.
“I said ‘Well done, a perfect lap – and he bit my head off’. He said there was no such things as a perfect lap. There was always something he could do better, some little improvement he could make.
“It is almost an obsession with performance with these people. They are at a level that is way beyond most people but they are still striving for more. They have more desire and energy.
“I have though seen other world class performers, though, in various sports that cannot keep up those high standards. George Best was one. It is a question of character. Whether it is upbringing, environment or even maybe belief, or a combination of those.
“Because Messi has that humility, he is not arrogant in his confidence. He knows he is the best player on the world, but he thinks he can always do better.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has that to some extent, but Messi now at 31 controls his emotions better. He does not react to decisions, does not show anger when teammates make mistakes, does not make a fuss when he is injured. He gets on with it.”
It was one of Messi’s greatest performances as he destroyed.
“There was not a flaw in his performance, not a pass misplaced,” said Macpherson.
“Visualisation is crucial with Messi. He sees things that bit quicker than other players on the pitch. He has a calmness about his play.
“He has a developed his football brain – which was always sharp – and now it is a nano-second ahead of everyone else. He sees the pass, sees the move.
“Ayrton Senna used to say that his brain had been trained, so that while his body was dealing with one corner on the circuit, his brain was already working out how to deal with the next. Messi is the same on the pitch.
“I don’t think anyone is born a world champion. The Japanese have a phrase for it – ‘kaizen’ – it means a way of life in which a person should always be hungry to improve.
“Messi has it, Michael Schumacher had it. He would be in the Ferrari garage until late at night with the mechanics, when all the other drivers had gone home, helping them find a way to improve the car.”