Lionel Messi’s uninspiring two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain is about to return to an acrimonious finish with a transfer to affix long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, simply months after his crowning glory on the 2022 World Cup.
For his legions of admirers, the controversy about Messi’s proper to be thought to be the best footballer in historical past was formally put to mattress when he led Argentina to the title in Qatar in December.
But his profession on the highest stage in Europe seems to have completed on a low observe.
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Messi was suspended by PSG final week for making an unauthorised journey to Saudi Arabia.
He has scored 31 objectives in 71 appearances for the French champions and is prone to win a second consecutive Ligue 1 title later this month, however failed in his mission to assist PSG to a maiden Champions League triumph, struggling back-to-back last-16 defeats.
Barcelona had been hopeful of bringing the 35-year-old again to the Camp Nou, the place he gained 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League crowns earlier than a tearful departure in 2021.
Instead although, Saudi Arabia, usually accused of sportswashing, or internet hosting the most important names in sport to deflect consideration from its human rights file, will be capable of boast having arguably the 2 biggest gamers of the trendy period of their unheralded home league.
Ronaldo is taking part in for Al Nassr, whereas a supply near the negotiations who informed AFP that Messi’s transfer to Saudi Arabia was a “carried out deal”, stopped short of saying which club the Argentine will join.
– World Cup mission accomplished –
The absence of a World Cup winners’ medal had long been Exhibit A in the argument about why Messi did not rank above Pele and Diego Maradona in football’s pantheon.
But with Argentina’s victory over France in last year’s jaw-dropping World Cup final in Doha, the case was surely closed.
In a glittering career that has spanned three decades, Messi has won 37 club trophies, seven Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Boots.
There has been a Copa America title, an Olympic gold medal and a list of scoring and statistical records that may never be beaten.
In his final World Cup appearance, Messi scored twice as Argentina battled to a 3-3 draw in extra time before prevailing on penalties.
Not even Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick for France could upset Messi’s appointment with destiny on a night that seemed pre-ordained.
Whether Messi really is the ‘greatest ever’ is a question, of course, that is as futile as the answer is subjective.
– Ranking greatness –
What is undeniable though is that by sheer volume and range of silverware, Messi has won more than the other serious rivals to his “G.O.A.T” standing: Pele and Maradona.
While Pele’s three World Cup triumphs stay unrivalled, the Brazilian icon’s membership profession pales compared to Messi’s.
In his peak years with Barcelona, the Argentinian usually scaled the top of European membership soccer within the Champions League — arguably a technically superior enviornment than worldwide soccer.
Maradona in the meantime gained just one World Cup, and by no means lifted a European Cup throughout a membership profession in Europe remembered largely for spells with Barcelona and Napoli.
The counter-argument after all is that Pele and Maradona performed in an period the place gamers had been supplied far much less safety than the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.
Pele hobbled out of the 1966 World Cup after taking one brutal deal with too many; Maradona was additionally subjected to roughhouse remedy all through his profession.
Maradona’s former worldwide team-mate Jorge Burruchaga is reluctant to match gamers throughout generations.
Burruchaga, scorer of the successful purpose — arrange by Maradona — within the 1986 World Cup closing victory over West Germany has stated merely that Messi is the best participant of his period.
“Win or lose, Messi will not be roughly than Maradona,” Burruchaga told AFP during the World Cup. “Messi is going to be in history whatever happens.
“There are five players in the past 70 years who can be considered the best in the world — (Alfredo) Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Pele, Maradona and Messi.”
The final title on that listing is probably leaving the European elite for good, however Messi is but to finish a global profession that has already produced 102 objectives in 174 matches.
The Copa America within the United States subsequent yr might nonetheless present a becoming swansong.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed)
