By Jorge Werthein

LATIN America is facing a challenging moment. Alongside economic, social, and security concerns, the region is experiencing a growing crisis of trust. Citizens in many countries feel increasingly distant from their leaders and less convinced that politics can provide lasting solutions to the problems affecting their lives.
Against this backdrop, it is worth looking at a phenomenon that appears far removed from politics: the admiration Lionel Messi inspires around the world.
Not because he is a football player. Not because he has won historic titles. And certainly not because athletes should be viewed as potential political leaders.
The reason is different.
Messi embodies a style of leadership that seems increasingly rare in public life across Latin America.
Millions of people from different ideologies, religions, generations, and nationalities admire and respect him. In a region marked by polarisation, that consensus is remarkable.
The first lesson is humility.
At a time when many leaders equate visibility with leadership, Messi chose a different path.
Even after achieving virtually everything an athlete can achieve, he never needed to declare himself the best. His authority was built on performance rather than self-promotion.
The second lesson is perseverance.
His career has been marked by setbacks, criticism, and disappointment. Yet he persisted. He continued working when many doubted his ability to reach the highest goals.
The Copa América and the FIFA World Cup became the reward for that determination.
Another fundamental lesson is teamwork.
Messi never won alone. Coaches, teammates, doctors, trainers, and specialists contributed to every achievement.
His greatness has always rested on his ability to elevate the talents around him and place them at the service of a common objective.
Politics often forgets this simple truth.
No president transforms a country alone.
Sustainable progress depends on strong institutions, competent teams, and the ability to build consensus.
There is also consistency.
For more than two decades under constant public scrutiny, Messi has remained remarkably faithful to his values and behaviour.
That consistency generates trust.
And trust is one of the scarcest resources in contemporary democracies.
Another essential characteristic is discipline.
His success is not simply the product of talent. It is the result of preparation, dedication, sacrifice, and relentless effort.
The same applies to nations.
Countries do not advance through inspiring speeches alone. They advance through planning, continuity, and effective execution.
Messi also represents something particularly needed in Latin America: the ability to unite.
In increasingly fragmented societies, he remains one of the few figures capable of generating broad admiration across different sectors.
A democratic leader does not need to please everyone, but must govern for everyone.
Perhaps the most important lesson lies in his ability to surround himself with talented people.
Great leaders understand that no one can know everything. Their strength lies in recognising talent, bringing it together, and creating the conditions for it to flourish.
Finally, Messi leads by example.
His authority was never built through grand speeches but through consistency between words and actions.
Perhaps that is precisely what Latin America needs most.
Our societies are tired of promises. What they seek are results.
Perhaps the region does not need more leaders who talk about themselves. Perhaps it needs more leaders capable of doing what Messi has done throughout his career: putting talent at the service of a collective project.