Exploring the Beautiful Game’s Data Revolution

by Jon Scaccia October 1, 2024

When it comes to the magic of Lionel Messi on the soccer field, fans have long marveled at his ability to make the impossible seem routine. But now, we can dive even deeper into the stats behind the wonder.

StatsBomb, a leading soccer/football-data company, offers a treasure trove of detailed, in-play data for free. Among their most exciting offerings? Data tracking every touch, pass, dribble, and shot from Messi’s incredible 17-season career playing for Barcelona in La Liga. That’s right—every move the maestro made in those iconic Barcelona years is now available for analysis.

For those of you who want to explore these insights, Carlos Menezes has developed a fantastic tool for visualizing the event data files from StatsBomb. Whether you’re a data enthusiast or simply curious about how Messi’s movements on the pitch can be mapped, this tool allows you to experience Messi’s magic from a new angle.

Special thanks to Jeremy Singer-Vine and Giuseppe Sollazzo for the tip!