In light of Lionel Messi’s astonishing retirement from international football, his Argentine career has immediately been brought into perspective the world over. In a sense, while he is still at the peak of his powers and in with a strong chance of winning a record 6th Ballon d’Or, this declaration has stunned the world of football. Without doubt, everyone is convinced he has a lot more years to give to his country.
Currently, 29-years of age, Messi has the attributes to be able to play well into his 30’s if not in his present, then in a deeper role. At the very least, he should have another World Cup and Copa America in him. But unfortunately, at least for the time being we’re having to draw the line on his international career now and make a comparison with the biggest players of the current times and the other popularly considered best players of all time to see where Messi really stands. A lot has been said about Messi’s lack of success with Argentina, but in this piece we lay out the statistics of the other stalwarts of football and make a direct comparison.
#1 Pele – Brazil
Pele is the most popular answer to ‘Who is the best footballer ever’ and for a reason, it has to be said. For the people who actually had the privilege of watching him play, he reinvented the game and brought a level of flair and skill that no one had ever seen before.
His success with Brazil remains unprecedented even decades after his retirement and the fact that the footballing landscape was extremely different in the 50’s and the 60’s is also something that can’t be ignored when putting his success into perspective.
Let’s take a look at his figures:
Overall record | 77 Goals in 91 Appearances |
| Best World Cup Finish | Winner (3) – 1958,1962,1970 |
| Copa America | Runners-up - 1959 |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | 1970 |
| FIFA World Cup Silver Ball | 1958 |
| Copa America Best Player | 1959 |
| FIFA World Cup All-star team | 1958, 1970 |
| World Cup goals | 12 |
| Youngest winner of the FIFA World Cup | 17 years old |
#2 Diego Maradona – Argentina
Maradona is considered as a God in Argentina for delivering them the World Cup in 1986. He had several talented players besides him, a fact often overlooked, but his contribution was unparalleled on the football field.
His performances in the 1986 World Cup stand as one of the best individual performances ever seen by any player in a major tournament. His legendary goal against England in the quarter-final was seismic and unforgettable but apart from the ‘86 World Cup, he often dropped out of the national team and had periods of indifferent form for La Albiceleste.
Being sent off against Brazil in the 1982 World Cup, failing a drug test in 1994 are memories that are often forgotten, but cannot be ignored when considering his overall contribution for Argentina.
Maradona’s international career highlights
| Overall record | 34 goals in 91 appearances |
| Best World Cup Finish | Winner (1) – 1986, Runners-up (1) – 1990 |
| Copa America | Fourth Place – 1987 |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | 1986 |
| FIFA World Cup All-Star Team | 1986, 1990 |
| FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball | 1990 |
#3 Ronaldo – Brazil
The original Ronaldo, the phenomenal Brazilian was cut down in the peak of his career due to recurring knee injuries but still managed to come back to win the World Cup and showed enough brilliance and talent to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the best players of all time.
Ronaldo delivered one of the most anonymous and peculiar performances ever seen in the 1998 World Cup final, when Brazil lost 3-0 to France, but the reasons for that are still unknown and it is a possibility that he was drugged or medically unstable at the time. His performances on the world stage though still remain magnificent and is one of the biggest reasons why he is considered one of the best footballers to ever grace the game.
His international career:
| Overall record | 62 goals in 98 appearances |
| Best World Cup finish | Winner (2) – 1994, 2002 Runners-Up (1) – 1998 |
| Copa America | Winner (2) – 1997, 1999 Runners-Up (1) – 1995 |
| Olympic Games | Bronze Medal – 1996 |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | 1998 |
| FIFA World Cup Silver Ball | 2002 |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Boot | 2002 |
| FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot | 2006 |
| All-time World Cup Goals | 14 |
| FIFA World Cup All-star team | 1998, 2002 |
| Copa America top scorer | 1999 |
| Copa America most valuable player | 1997 |
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
The 3-time Ballon d’Or winner has shattered goal scoring records for fun and has left an indelible mark on football in the 21st century. It’s often inferred that he’s surrounded by less talented teammates, but Portugal’s performances in major tournaments have been relatively consistent in the last 10-15 years.
The lack of a world-class striker after Pauleta's retirement has often meant that the 31-year-old had to lead the line for his side, and despite trying his best to deliver, the Real Madrid forward has failed to guide the Seleccao to any major titles. He is also Portugal's all-time top scorer with 60 goals to his name.
His stats for Portugal:
| Overall record | 60 goals in 130 appearances |
| Best World Cup finish | 4th Place – 2006 |
| European Championships | Runners-Up (1) – 2004 |
| UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament | 2004, 2012 |
| All-time top scorers in the Euros | 2nd – 8 goals in 18 games |
#5 Lionel Messi – Argentina
Finally, we take a look at the stats of Lionel Andres Messi for Argentina, who is the all-time top-scorer for La Albiceleste:
| Overall record | 55 goals in 113 appearances |
| Best World Cup Finish | Runners-up (1) – 2014 |
| Copa America | Runners-up (3) – 2007, 2015, 2016 |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | 2014 |
| Copa America Most Valuable Player | 2015 (rejected) |
| FIFA World Cup Dream Team | 2014 |
| Copa America Dream Team | 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016 |
| Copa America Best Goal | 2007 |
| FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Ball | 2005 |
| FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Shoe | 2005 |
| Copa America Best young player | 2007 |
| Olympic Gold Medal | 2008 |
To summarize, are Messi’s international statistics the best on this list? Perhaps not. But they also certainly do not pale in comparison. He’s performed very well in major tournaments and got agonizingly close to winning the World Cup and Copa America on four occasions, failing to overcome the final hurdle as he was denied by penalty shootouts twice and lost the World Cup final in extra time. Where does he deserve to be ranked amongst the best the world has ever seen? The debate will go on for years to come.
