Messi is the only player in the five major leagues with long-range shots during the same period! Cristiano Ronaldo is not in the top ten!

November 20th. According to the latest statistics from Squawka, since the 2017-2018 season, Messi has completed 40 long-range shots from outside the penalty area in the five major leagues, ranking first among all players in the same period. This list spanning seven seasons clearly reveals a fact that has been ignored for a long time: even in areas far away from the goal, Messi still maintains his unique dominance.

Throughout Messi's entire career, his total number of long-range shots from outside the penalty area has already exceeded the 100-goal mark, making him the only player in football history to achieve this achievement. From Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, to Inter Miami, from the Champions League to the World Cup stage, his long-range shooting ability has always been a nightmare for defenders. This data not only reflects his iconic shooting skills, but also demonstrates his unique understanding and precise grasp of the game space.

Ironically, Ronaldo has long been dubbed the "King of Long Shots" by some fans, and his supporters have even questioned Messi's ability to score outside the penalty area. However, the truth revealed by the data is that Messi's long-range shooting efficiency is always better. As Cristiano Ronaldo fell out of the top ten in this list, Messi fans creatively called his long-range shot a "center shot" - this seemingly ridiculing title was not only a humorous reply to the doubters, but also implicit admiration for Messi's ability to make difficult shots easy.

This cognitive bias actually reveals a deeper phenomenon: Messi's versatility is habitually underestimated, while the characteristics of certain players are over-exaggerated. Messi's excellence has become so normal that his ability to break records at any time seems commonplace; while the "highlight moments" of certain players have been repeatedly exaggerated, creating an image that is inconsistent with their true level. This evaluation system based on selective presentation, although it caters to traffic needs, often reveals its fragile nature under the test of time - when the data speaks, all carefully constructed narratives will receive the most fair judgment.