How Messi’s Training Methods Can Help You Become a Pro in League of Legends
The modern world of sports and esports have much more in common than it might seem at first glance. League of Legends (LoL) players and professional footballers like Lionel Messi achieve their incredible success through hard training, attention to detail, and mental toughness. Although these disciplines are very different in nature, training approaches from traditional sports, including football, can be adapted and applied to esports to improve the level of play. Let’s look at how Messi’s training methods can be used to improve gaming skills in League of Legends, and compare the training processes in these two, at first glance, incompatible disciplines.
Individual Qualities: Playing to Strengths
Lionel Messi is known for his unique gameplay, thanks to his finely honed technique, vision, and ability to make lightning-fast decisions. One of the key aspects of his training is the focus on developing individual skills such as ball control, managing opponents, and finishing. A similar approach can be seen in League of Legends. Players often specialize in one or two roles (such as a jungler or marksman) and focus on their strengths. The application of the Messi method to esports is as follows: Practice champions that suit your playstyle. Practice basic skills such as farming, micro, and resource management. Playing to Strengths: If you are good at aggressive champions, focus on them and develop your aggression, just like Messi developed his sprints and dribbling. Analyzing Your Style: Messi spends a lot of time analyzing his matches. Similarly, LoL players can use replays of their games to understand where they were strong and where they made mistakes.
Football is a team game, and even Messi’s extraordinary talent would not have been able to flourish without the support of his team. Barcelona, and then PSG, built the game in a way that made the most of his strengths. In League of Legends, this principle is especially relevant, because victory depends on the team’s coordination. When applying football training methods to eSports, several key points can be highlighted: In football, players constantly communicate on the pitch, passing information to each other about positions, strategy, and plans. LoL players must do the same, using voice communication to inform each other about the state of the map, enemy movements, and battle plans.
Simulation of game situations: In football, coaches create scenarios that imitate real game situations (for example, practicing corners or counterattacks). In LoL, a team can organize training matches where they practice a specific scenario, such as defending towers or fighting on the baron.
Team Roles: As in football, where there are forwards, midfielders and defenders, in LoL players must clearly understand their role in the team. Training processes can include exercises aimed at practicing the interaction between roles.
Messi pays a lot of attention to his physical fitness. He works on speed, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. At first glance, this may not seem relevant for esports, but physical fitness also plays an important role in the success of LoL players. Esports training can be long, which requires a high level of endurance. Regular exercise improves blood circulation and cognitive function, helping to maintain concentration for longer. Reaction and motor skills: Reaction exercises (e.g. ball handling, speed trainers) can be adapted for LoL players who depend on quick decision-making and precision in pressing keys. Sleep and nutrition: Messi follows a strict sleep and nutrition regimen to maintain his fitness. Esports athletes who often ignore these aspects can significantly improve their performance by switching to a healthy regimen.
Messi is not only a technical player, but also a mental player. He stays focused even in the most intense matches. In LoL, mental preparation is no less important, as players have to deal with pressure, toxicity in games, and emotional burnout. Messi is known for his calm style of play, even when the team is under pressure. LoL players can use meditation and breathing techniques to stay calm in stressful situations. Goal setting and motivation: Messi always strives to improve, setting ambitious goals for himself. LoL players can use this strategy by setting goals for each training session or game: for example, achieving 100% accuracy in the ultimate or increasing the number of successful rallies.
Working with a coach: In football, coaches play a key role in the development of players. In eSports, coaches can also help not only with game aspects, but also with mental preparation, helping players cope with pressure.
