Argentina’s captain and mercurial genius Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini ,better known as Lionel Messi, has finally lifted the World Cup as Argentina dethroned France to become world champions after battling to a nail-biting 4-2 penalty win in the final game of the Qatar 2022 World Cup on Sunday.
Argentina’s captain and mercurial genius Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini ,better known as Lionel Messi, has finally lifted the World Cup as Argentina dethroned France to become world champions after battling to a nail-biting 4-2 penalty win in the final game of the Qatar 2022 World Cup on Sunday.
After 793 goals and seven Ballon d’Or and numerous other trophies and accolades for club and country, Messi’s win in his fifth World Cup tournament further cements his legendary status and underpins the argument that he is the greatest footballer to ever grace the game.
But could his extraordinary almost superhuman sporting exploits and achievements be in part down to neurodiversity and autism?
In 2013, a video on the Soccer Stories Oh My Goal YouTube channel featured politician and former Brazilian footballer legend Romário de Souza Faria, known simply as Romário, referring to an article in 2013 that stated Messi had Asperger syndrome. In the video, Romario quoted the Brazilian writer and journalist Roberto Amado who made this suggestion that the husband of Antonella Roccuzzo was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age 8.
In the video, the Brazilian-great lists some of Messi’s characteristics to support the claim by the journalist, who made this informal diagnosis by anecdotal evidence from afar. He lists extreme shyness, his timidness, which some have said is why he got the nickname ‘el pequeno mudito,’ which means ‘the little mute’ because “he would rarely speak to his peers or team-mates outside of necessary interactions on the pitch in games and during training.” Romario also said that his style on the pitch, extreme focus and formidable concentration superior to other players, and unusual behaviour on the training field were all evidence that proved the diagnosis that Messi has a type of high-functioning autism.
Persistent difficulties with or differences in social communication and social interaction are common characteristics among people who have received a formal autism diagnosis. A child with autism may not speak or appear quieter. They may also not play with their peers, be more reserved than other children, and find it harder to make friends
Shyness and autism may look similar, and the line between the two can often be blurry, leading to delayed diagnosis. There are subtle differences which maybe spotted in childhood, like not smiling when you smile at them, getting very upset at environmental stimuli like noises, smells, or tastes, and performing repetitive moments.
Research indicates that people with autism have an increased ability to focus attention on certain tasks. However, this is also a proven characteristic among elite athletes such as professional football players.
It is common for people with autism to have behaviours or interests that can at first seem unusual. These may include unusual eating habits, difficulty sleeping, temper tantrums, aggression to self and others, stimming etc.
Despite the unconfirmed reports in the video and subsequent chat and rumours on social media, the player’s family treated the article as fake news, and there has been no evidence of a formal diagnosis presented. Contrary to the rumours, Messi and his family have never shared any revelations or discussed any such diagnosis. Romario tried to clarify his comments by citing the widely held belief that Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton were both autistic and that they similarly achieved greatness.
To date, the only formal diagnosis that Messi has received of public knowledge is for a growth hormone deficiency (GHD), also known as dwarfism or pituitary dwarfism, a condition which is caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body during his childhood, which required him to receive hormone injections.
Endocrinologist Dr Diego Schwarzstein, a native of Rosario where Messi grew up, who treated Messi for GHD in Argentina, refuted the rumours: “Leo was never diagnosed with Asperger’s or any other form of autism. This is really silly,”.
Despite his controversial claim, Romario wished Messi to continue “scoring his beautiful goals.” Something which he most certainly has continued to do.
Importantly, and irrespective of Messi’s high-profile and celebrity status, he deserves the right to privacy and the right to decide for himself whether he would want to make any diagnosis public knowledge. Other celebrities have opened up about their diagnoses, including Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller, Britain’s Got Talent singer Susan Boyle and television presenter Melanie Sykes. However, just because someone is a public figure doesn’t mean everything about their life has to be public knowledge. They should have the choice what they share and when they share it.
