LIKE TURNING THE SOCCER SWITCH OFF

This weekend Lionel Messi suffered a knee injury during a game against Las Palmas that will rule him out for the next two months. It was a sad and terrifying sight to behold as he fell to the ground unable to carry on. This is especially true when one considers how much Messi means to his team and to the game of football, in general.

I cannot think of another athlete whose absence for an extended stretch of time - let alone one game - brings so much sorrow to football fans worldwide. This is because Messi epitomizes everything that is great in sport - sportsmanship, skill, and a serious competitive side.

The game will be a little emptier for the next months, a little less joyful. It truly does feel like the game has been turned off - or at least turned down - due to Messi's injury. Here's to a speedy recovery so that Messi can get back to thrilling fans of Barca and the game of soccer worldwide!