Until Argentina arrived in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, there wasn’t much separating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Though Messi (7) is a little ahead of Ronaldo (5) in terms of Ballon d’Or trophies, the latter remains the highest-scoring footballer in the world at present. Both the players had won everything life had to offer, barring the FIFA World Cup. In Qatar, however, Messi made the final leap in his career as he led Argentina to glory by defeating France in the final. Seeing Messi ‘ complete football’, a debate over the real GOAT in world football has reignited, with many suggesting Messi is now clearly ahead of Ronaldo.
Seeing Messi finally lift the FIFA World Cup trophy with Argentina, England star Declan Rice took to Twitter to term the Paris Saint-Germain star ‘the best ever’ with the GOAT emoji. In another tweet, Rice said that there will never be a player like Messi in the future.
Lionel Messi. The Best Ever.
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) December 18, 2022
We will never see a player like Messi ever again.
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) December 18, 2022
Rice isn’t the only one who thinks Messi is the best ever. Even former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has put Messi at the top of his list of all-time greats.
James Maddison, another England star, is glad that the ‘GOAT debate is over.
1: Messi
2: Maradona
3: Pele
4: Ronaldo
5: Zidane— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) December 18, 2022
For those who know football know that tonights result didn’t determine whether Messi was the best player ever or not. But yet I’m so happy he did for the people who thought he needed it so now there’s no debate. #Messi
— James Maddison (@Madders10) December 18, 2022
For his legions of admirers, the debate about Lionel Messi’s right to be regarded as the greatest footballer in history is officially over.
The absence of a World Cup winners’ medal has long been Exhibit A in the argument about why Messi does not rank above Pele and Diego Maradona in football’s pantheon.
But with Argentina’s victory over France in Sunday’s jaw-dropping World Cup final in Doha, the case against the 35-year-old maestro is now surely closed.
With AFP inputs
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