What Position Did Messi Play the Most? Unlocking His Legendary Role
The early years: right wing was home
When Lionel Messi broke into the Barcelona first team in the mid-2000s, he started almost exclusively as a right winger. Under Frank Rijkaard, he’d hug the touchline, take on defenders, and cut inside with that lethal left foot. Classic inverted winger stuff.
He wasn’t the biggest, obviously, but defenders just couldn’t handle his speed and balance. I still remember that goal against Getafe in 2007 — started from the wing, slalomed past like six players... felt like watching Maradona reborn.
Why the right wing worked so well
Because he’s left-footed, playing on the right gave Messi room to cut inside and shoot or play a killer pass. That curl into the top left corner? Trademark Messi. It also gave him the space to do what he does best: dribble in tight areas without getting bullied physically.
The Pep Guardiola years: false nine magic
Then came 2009 and Pep Guardiola. And wow — everything changed.
The birth of the false nine Messi
Pep moved Messi centrally, into a role now known (and feared) worldwide: the false nine. Instead of staying up top like a traditional striker, Messi would drop into midfield, dragging defenders out and opening up space for guys like Pedro and Villa to run in behind.
It was genius. Pure chaos for defenders. And let’s be honest — that’s when Messi became more than just a winger. He became a complete attacking system in one man.
I gotta admit, when Pep first did it, I was like “wait… he’s too small for the center!” But then he scored a hat trick against Real Madrid. Yeah. Point taken.
Post-Pep: a blend of positions
After Guardiola, under managers like Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde, and others, Messi kinda floated.
Right wing again… but with freedom
He was often nominally on the right again, but with total freedom to roam. He’d drop into midfield to dictate tempo, drift centrally to combine, and still pop up with 30+ goals a season. Not bad for a guy technically not playing striker.
Sometimes as a No. 10 or second striker
Especially for Argentina, and occasionally at PSG, Messi took on a more classic playmaker role, sitting behind the striker. He’d orchestrate attacks, thread passes, and score when needed. Less dribbling, more thinking. Older Messi, but still Messi.
So… what position did Messi play the most?
If we’re talking raw numbers, the answer is simple:
Right winger — that’s the position he’s started the most games in. It’s his default on the team sheet, even if he rarely stays there.
But if we’re talking impact and evolution, it’s more nuanced. He was a winger. He became a false nine. He morphed into a hybrid creator-striker-playmaker all at once.
A positionless genius?
Honestly, yeah. Messi kinda broke the mold. At his peak, it didn’t matter where he started on the pitch — because five seconds later, he was everywhere.
Final thoughts: labels don’t define Messi
Football loves to put players in boxes — striker, winger, midfielder. But with Messi? That just doesn’t work.
He’s played mostly as a right winger, sure. But he’s reinvented what that even means. Watching him was never about where he lined up. It was about what he did once the whistle blew.
And what he did... was pure magic.
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The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
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