Seven La Liga matches, two Champions League fixtures and the two Spanish Super Cup legs. 11 matches in which the Argentine has played every single minute.
It's the downside to being one of the best, if not the best, and the situation with Argentina has only made it worse. He has played 360 minutes with his national team so far this season. At least the objective, which was the World Cup, was accomplished.
Messi has kicked off the season in fine form. Top goalscorer in Spain (11 goals), helping Barcelona to a 100 per cent record in La Liga and the Champions League, and leading Argentina to securing a place in Russia. But not everything is positive.
He is the only player whose presence on the pitch is necessary, Barcelona and Argentina depend on his magic and Messi pays the price with fatigue which will eventually wear him down at some point this season. But it is he who is reluctant to rest.
Only Ter Stegen has played as many minutes as he has at Barcelona, but the keeper was rested with Germany. In the top flight of Spanish football, only 35 footballers have played it all, and 13 of them are keepers.
Messi's paradox can be summed up with a statement from Valverde back in September: 'Rest Messi? That moment has not arrived yet and I don't have to think much. A player who scores four goals in one match is hard to change, it has never happened to me...'.
At this moment in time, there is no stopping Lionel Messi, though it may be something worth considering in the upcoming weeks. Until that happens, Messi is ubiquitous.