The reason why Lionel Messi's knees look the way they do has been explained

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For two decades, Lionel Messi has captivated football fans with what he can do on the pitch. He's considered the greatest player in the history of the beautiful game and no one has even been able to do what he can with a ball at his feet. He's scored goals for fun, he's created chances after chance for his teammates and he's tormented defenders wherever he's gone.

Fans have had the opportunity to watch Messi do this thing in over 1100 games, but there's one thing that not many of them would have noticed about the Argentina legend until the star posted an image on social media and that is his peculiar-looking knees.

After years of performing at the top level, it's only natural that Messi would have some wear and tear on his body, but his knees have left fans talking and there's an explanation for why they look the way they do.

The Shape of Messi's Knees Is a Good Thing Medical professionals have given their verdict

While Messi's knees and the peculiar way in which they're shaped might be concerning to fans, there's nothing to worry about, according to RAC1. RAC1 is a Catalan radio station located in Barcelona and they offered their verdict on the Inter Miami star's knees. According to RAC1, the fact that Messi's knees look the way they do is a testament to the incredible work that he has done training his legs and it's proof that he's in exceptional shape.

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The former Barcelona man is now 37 years old, but he's still been putting in the work on his legs and particularly his quadriceps to ensure he remains in excellent condition as he closes in on the end of his career. The lumps on his knees are said to be as a result of the greater development of the inner face of his squads.

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Whatever work he's doing to his legs is clearly working as well. Messi is still one of the best footballers in the world, despite being on the wrong side of 35 now. His move to Inter Miami in 2023 could have spelt the end of his time as an elite player. Instead, he's continued to shine on the pitch and since his move to the United States, he's played 59 games, scored 49 goals and assisted a further 24.

Lionel Messi's Career Statistics

Team

Games

Goals

Assists

Argentina

193

112

61

Barcelona

778

672

303

PSG

75

32

35

Inter Miami

59

49

24

Total

1127

871

424

He transformed the Florida-based franchise from one of the worst teams in Major League Soccer (MLS) to one of the very best. He's closer to 40 than he is 30 right now, but Messi is still showing no signs of slowing down.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 14/06/2025