By Akeem Busari
Lionel Messi’s legacy as the greatest player of all time was cemented on Sunday. For me, and many others, the GOAT title belonged to Messi, several years ago. Yes, on Sunday, he obliterated that spot on his glistering enviable flag.
Take a comparative look at the times Pele and Maradona played the game. They were brutally treated by defenders and the officials didn’t have the benefits of today’s technology, particularly, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Those who watched games of the past world cup in 1962 and 1966, would cring, thinking how Pele, was kicked out from the tournaments by the ruthless defenders.
However, facts available brings up the question, whether any player can ever come close to Messi in the GOAT debate. While Messi rallied on what many considered his swansong at age of 35 years. Maradona and Pele, retired at that same age.
Messi, without a doubt, is in line for a eight Balon D’or, next year. The legend himself was also quick to give a subtle hint that he might be around for the 2026 World Cup, and at the age of 39 years. Messi, stands tall in many regards. Check his 1,143 direct goal involvements in over 1,003 games, over a course of a senior career, spanning 18 years.
Messi has now achieved everything in football. He has an incredible haul of trophies that belies the over heated fact that he has played almost his entire professional career at FC Barcelona. Undisputedly, Messi is the greatest passer of the ball, one of the best free kick takers, he has the best or inch perfect control of the ball and even match situations.
I was lucky enough to watch passable glimpses of Pele, in his prime. He did several of the twists, turns, feints, dribbles, dummies and step-overs, long before it became a fad to the likes of Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario De Lima, Neymar, Mbappe,Ronaldo and even Messi. Yet, Messi remains ahead of everyone.
Take away the world cup medals of Pele and Maradona, and you would rate them lowly, if you also compare their achievements at the club levels to those of Messi. He has done it all. Rewind to last year’s Copa De America triumph, which was his first major senior title for Argentina. That Sunday’s world cup win in Qatar, has surely taken him further clear of the chasing pack.
Indeed, there was no more fitting way for the greatest of all time, to cement his crown, in arguably, the greatest final of all time, and of course, on the biggest stage.
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