Lionel Messi - In the race to be the greatest ever

Lionel Messi – There or Almost?

Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world, is adding more feathers to his cap. Three consecutive Ballons d’Or, a hat trick of La Liga titles (2008-2011) and twice European champions – Messi has won it all. There is little that remains to be achieved for this baby faced boy from Rosario, Argentina. In the just concluded season of La Liga, he once again finished ahead of Ronaldo in the scorer’s list and surpassed the great Gerd Muller’s record for the maximum number of goals(67) in a single season.

Although major trophies eluded Messi and Barcelona this season, a rarity surely, they would like to finish this season on a high by clinching the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao. But with Pep Guardiola quitting his job, we are left to wonder what else can Messi win here. Ever since he stepped onto the field, comparisons to the legendary Diego Maradona have been made, which is not a surprise. The popular myth of the ‘Next Maradona’ has seen many Argentine players being bestowed with the title, if I may call it that. But nobody has come closer to emulating the eccentric yet tremendous Maradona than Lionel Messi. What is it then that Leo Messi needs to do further to gain immoratality in footballing folklore?

Should Messi prove his worth in a different league altogether?

Probably. Lionel Messi has broken numerous records and achieved dizzying heights already, and he is just 24. Sooner rather than later, he might look for a fresh challenge away from Spain. There have been questions raised over whether Messi would be equally good in England. There’s only one club in England that can possibly match Barcelona’s evaluation of Messi, and with the ‘blue moon’ rising in the city of Manchester, it can be an attractive destination for footballers. But will Messi be equally good here in England?

Lionel Messi against English clubs:

Against	Goals Scored	Penalties	Matches Played
Arsenal	6	1	3
Chelsea	0	0	3
Manchester United	2	0	3

*Champions League games since 2007-08

Messi has scored 8 goals against English clubs in 9 encounters since 2007-08, almost a goal per game. Four of these goals came in a single game against Arsenal at Camp Nou in a 4-1 demolition of the London side. 4 goals in the remaining 8 fixtures is far from Messi’s best. More importantly, the majority of Messi’s goals have come against Arsenal who are known to play a prototype of Barcelona’s tiki-taka football and hence are more prone to conceding goals, unlike teams like Chelsea or Manchester United who are much more organised defensively. The Argentine’s stats against these two aren’t particularly impressive.

However, it would be grossly unfair to judge this genius sheerly on basis of the goals he scores. The overall involvement that Messi has in Barcelona’s attacking play is immense, being involved in almost one out of every two goals they score. The way he drags defenders away and brings his wing forwards into play is terrific. But with more physicality being part of football in England, and referees not being as protective as they are in Spain, Messi might have a problem in adjusting to conditions here.

The effervescent Diego Armando Maradona propelled Napoli to win the Serie A in 1986/87 and also the UEFA Cup, becoming synonymous with the club’s most successful period in history. And until Messi proves his worth in a different league or does something similar, his skeptics will always cite this as a major flaw in the player’s illustrious career. This Barcelona side, like Real Madrid of late 1950s or Cruyff’s Ajax, are one of the greatest footballing sides ever in history. And Messi, without a doubt, has been key to their success.

Not so great in international football

How important is it for him to win the World Cup?

“I think he’s certainly the best player of his generation. And I definitely believe not only that but he’s the best player in the history of football. To be perfectly honest, I thought I would never encounter anybody in the same league because Diego was a genius.

One of the reasons I think Messi is better than Maradona and Pelé is evolution. People before say Pelé was running 5,000-6,000 metres. Now they are running 9,000 metres. Now players eat better, train better, the pitches are better. So this is why I believe Messi is the very best ever.” - Osvaldo Ardilles, Argentine great.

If Messi were to retire tomorrow, where would he find himself in among the football’s greatest ever? How does he compare with greats from the past like Puskas, Di Stefano, Pele, Maradona, Best or modern day greats like Zidane, Rivaldo etc? Leo Messi’s stats for his country are somewhat misleading. 22 goals in 68 appearances for the country, an average of 0.32 goals/game. The only success that Messi achieved with his national side was the gold in 2008 Olympics. His scoring in top tournaments has been appaling for his country, having managed to net thrice over two World Cups and two Copa Americas. He is on a duck since the 2010 World Cup, which saw them crash out against Germany .

Messi’s lack for goal scoring form for his country in the last World Cup and Copa America’11 sums up Argentina’s poor displays. It just reflects how much the team is centred around this footballing wizard. Although the abysmal performance in World Cup 2010 can be much attributed to their then manager Diego Maradona (his team selection and tactics were severely criticized), there is no denying the fact that Messi has nowhere been close to replicating his club form for the country.

His idol and fierce supporter, Diego Maradona, has been vocal about his opinion on the player. But having led his country to one World Cup victory and a runners up finish, he is still steps ahead of his fellow countryman in the race to greatness. Messi has to emulate what he did if he has to write down his name as the greatest ever in footballing history. Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero, Xavi, Ronaldinho, among modern day greats, all belong to the elite club of having won the World Cup. The good thing about Messi is he’s still young and has time on his side to win the biggest footballing honour on the planet.