For internet warriors that love calling people they don’t know fanboys and have a strange fixation with accusing others of different acts of oral sex, this is going to be nothing short of heresy, but I firmly believe it: Isco is the most mesmerizing footballer on the planet alongside Lionel Messi.
“Holy shit! You can’t draw a line between a Real Madrid player and a Barcelona player! You know nothing, Connor Fleming!”
That might be true, but I support Athletic Bilbao, so just leave the impartial appreciation takes to me. All I know is that I would never miss an opportunity to watch Messi ball, and over the last year, Isco has entered into that same category.
I’m not saying Isco is Messi or Isco will become better than Messi, you’re missing the point. Why does everything have to be a comparison, you sad sack?
I’m just saying the diminutive attackers are can’t-miss when the ball is at their feet. They’re the kind of player that perfectly demonstrates both how and why football is infinitely better than any other sport. They offer an individual display of attacking fluidity that's both beautiful and devastating.
Even if you knew absolutely nothing about the game, I believe you’d still be able to pick out both Isco and Messi during a match as examples of what probably constitutes good football.
They have their own distinct rhythm — they appear to be playing their own separate game and that’s the telltale sign. They always choose the right option, and they could probably dribble you whilst inside the most narrow of closet spaces.
Aged 30, Messi has been on top of the world for the better part of 10 years now. He won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009, aged 22. Isco, 25, is obviously not Messi. Last year’s haul of 10 goals in 30 matches marked his career best, and he’ll probably never win the Ballon d’Or himself.
Isco: Has a better conversion rate (31.3%) than any other La Liga player since the start of the 2016/17 season (5+ goals) pic.twitter.com/hIrmJeCn7h
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) September 7, 2017
However, he could (and is) transforming into the most important player for both Real Madrid and Spain. His ability to both dictate the attack from deep and unlock defenses in the attacking third makes him the kind of player that Pep Guardiola probably dreams about.
He’s a nightmare for defensive midfielders and center backs because he’s seemingly everywhere in the areas they’re tasked with patrolling. He unbalances numbers, he drags defenders out of place with his movement, he rarely loses the ball with his control and technique and he’s becoming one of the most consistent footballers on the planet.
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