As a football analyst raised in São Paulo, I’ve watched Messi turn numbers into soul. Since 2018, his 34 free-kick goals have surpassed his penalty tally—33. Not just stats, but rhythm: the samba of the final whistle encoded in trajectory and spin. He stands third on all-time free-kick scorers with 68, weaving art through data. This isn’t luck—it’s calculus disguised as grace.