The video will start in 8 Cancel

Don't wait 30 years - sign up for our daily football email newsletter today! Sign up Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The miniature Argentinean dances through opposition players with effortless grace, rifling goals home at an astonishing pace while laying on countless others for his teammates.

His antics have earned him a list of accolades never seen before in the game, including a whopping five Ballon D’Or awards.

But what makes Barcelona’s star man such a generational talent?

(Image: GETTY)

One eagle-eyed viewer claims to have figured it out.

After studying endless hours and hours of Messi’s highlights – and there are plenty of them – Reddit user Azevedro posted his theory online.

“The secret is that quite obviously he touches the ball way more times than other players. Hazard touches the ball a lot too, but Messi’s touches are ridiculously small,” the post read.

“He can touch the ball 8 times dribbling two meters.

“I think he is able to take such a high frequency of touches because he runs on tiptoes. Seriously.

(Image: GETTY)

“When he tiptoes and dribbles, suddenly he is able to take more touches within the same distance.”

The fanatical author even went as far as to provide some scientific (ish) evidence to support the findings.

“Physically speaking, tiptoeing exerts a force upwards and forwards,” Azevedro continued.

“A normal stride cannot exert the same amount of upward force as a tiptoe.”

“Hence, your feet spent more time in the air and you cover less ground.”

Messi and his tip-toes take to the field once again tonight as the Catalan giants travel to Turin for a mouthwatering Champions League clash against Juventus.