Lionel Messi helped Argentina to lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup which was held in Qatar on Sunday 18th December.
While many fans feel the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) debate is over, from a logical point of view – it isn’t, because the world cup is not the only international trophy.
Lionel Messi has won every cup in the leagues he has played in, but is yet to dominate more than one league.
He is unquestionably one of the finest players to ever play the game, but his career was frequently criticized for having a hole the size of a FIFA World Cup trophy in his trophy case.
Messi has led his football-obsessed nation to the top of the international game, much like his footballing forerunner, Diego Maradona.
Football’s most contentious discussion, which elicits passionate opinions and a great deal of disagreement, is the G.O.A.T. dispute.
Due to fan allegiances, the discussion frequently drives people to extreme stances, elevating one player while demeaning another.
In the end, there is no precise criterion to assess the “greatness” of players across eras and contexts.
But before forming an opinion, it is possible to engage in dialogue that respects the context of football.
The prolific goal-scoring output of Cristiano Ronaldo at his best has spoiled football fans.
Cristiano began his career as a flashy but occasionally ineffective winger, but during his prime, he developed into a goal-scoring machine.
Cristiano was a physical model and a master at finishing, whether it was with his feet, body, or head.
He has achieved every personal and club honor possible throughout his career, including an unlikely triumph in the 2016 Euros.
The first international football superstar was Pele. He scored a staggering 757 goals in 831 official games, making him arguably the highest-paid athlete of his time (1956–1977). He averaged just under a goal per game over the course of his career.
With an unprecedented 8 assists during his World Cup career, he was also an underappreciated creative player. He is the only player to date to have done it in four attempts, winning the World Cup three times (1958, 1962, and 1970).
The fact that Pele last played was both a benefit and a drawback for his claim to be the G.O.A.T. On the one hand, nostalgia elevates Pele, whose legend has developed with time, to a legendary position.
At the same time, many contemporary fans criticize the environment in which he performed, particularly the quality of competition he encountered.
Without extensive game footage, the question of Pele’s greatness will always be hotly contested and impossible to settle.
But it is undeniable that his absence would make football a worse sport.
Lionel Messi in Qatar 2022
In many respects, this was a Messi narrative. At Qatar 2022, Messi was the top player and scored the seventh goal, earning him the Golden Ball.
He played around with some of the best football players ever. He completed all of this at age 35, which is abnormal. It will eventually begin to stretch the boundaries of credibility.
He also contributes to the bigger picture of this $7 billion athletic event. The emir of Qatar, who also serves as Messi’s employer, also gave him a robe to wear as he received the World Cup trophy.
But Messi’s victory in this contentious and physically taxing World Cup has a contradiction as well. In Qatar 2022, there was two World Cups for the first time – the regular gold-plated trophy and the royal garment for Messi.
What Awards Did Messi Take Home?
Lionel Messi won two medals following Sunday’s drama at Lusail Stadium, becoming one of the few players to add the World Cup Golden Ball to his World Cup winner’s medal.
Messi scored twice in a gripping classic that ended 3-3 after extra time, then scored in a shootout that Argentina won 4-2 to create history in Doha. Messi led La Albiceleste to their first global championship since 1986.
Eight years prior, in Brazil 2014, when Germany defeated Argentina in the championship match, the 35-year-old was awarded the Golden Ball. After Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick, he twice appeared to be in for more heartache. But the icon finally prevailed.
What Next For Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi rejected the notion that he would leave Argentina after the team’s thrilling World Cup victory, stating he wants to “remain as a champion.”
After scoring seven goals for his nation to help them win the world championship for the first time since 1986 and third time overall, the 35-year-old was given the Golden Ball, which is given to the player of the competition.
“I won’t be leaving the national team. I want to keep playing like a champion,” Messi told TyC Sports.
For the first time since the Diego Maradona-inspired team of 1986, Messi was under pressure to lead his nation to the World Cup, and this was his final opportunity in his fifth appearance.
“It’s crazy that it happened this way. I wanted it very much,” Messi added.
“I knew that God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling that it was going to be this way. Now to enjoy it.”
He went on to say: “Look what this cup is, it’s beautiful. We suffered a lot, but we made it. We can’t wait to be in Argentina to see how crazy it’s going to be.”
