GOAT debate can get illogical, winning FIFA World Cup will define the greatness of Messi and Ronaldo in Qatar
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate in sports is ceaseless, and yet, sometimes, meaningless. For those who have watched generations of rock stars in a gamut of sporting disciplines come and go, memories stay there. Forever. As the countdown for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar reaches a crescendo, it’s worth recalling some of the best names who have adorned the football fields. One thing is clear, being a winner in club football, winning the Ballon d’Or is very different from turning it into a trophy at the World Cup.
For years after the two giants of football walked into the sunset, one still alive — Pele — and the other Right Above — Diego Maradona — there is an urge to dissect who was better. Pele is Pele and Maradona is Maradona. What the two brought in as variety to hold the audience in thrall across various football fields was divine.
Nobody can ever forget the magic of these two men, though, for emotional reasons fans will remember Maradona today for so many different reasons. Between these two superstars itself, there was so much difference. What was lapped up by hungry fans was the creativity or divinity they produced on the field.
It left you in a trance. You could go to sleep dreaming about it. Even better, you could wake up the next morning, reliving the moments created by these two maestros who played fantasy football. That Maradona was more in the news for the wrong reasons never mattered. He was all flair and debonair. Pele was the gentleman, a bit conventional, yet loved for his silken skills.
Related: Lionel Messi and Argentina have what it takes to be crowned World Champions in Qatar
Performances in club football are outstanding but what is needed is the same brilliance at the zenith in the FIFA World Cup
The world of sports is lucky that even today they can see what these two men created on the turf. Thanks to the advancement of digital media and several platforms, one never gets tired of seeing these magical moments of the old World Cups. Today, the debate is over two men, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Leave aside what Ronaldo has said in recent days in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan. Viewed dispassionately, Messi versus Ronaldo can become messy over a few drinks. Their fan following is intense, which can drive you to blows. The sport needs to be appreciated for its beauty and pristine presence.
Each sport had its share of rivalry and the GOAT debate continues. Even now, (Ayrton) Senna versus (Alain) Prost, Michael Schumacher versus the rest, stirs a debate in Formula One circles. Call it a hangover or legacies left behind, some swore they will never watch racing once these two men went away from F1. It’s sad the way Senna was consumed in flames in that Imola tragedy. It’s equally sad the world has not seen a single image of Schumi after his skiing accident so many years ago, around Christmas. None knows in what shape the Ferrari driver is. For someone like Schumi to have embraced death every second when he was at the wheels of an F1 car and then get knocked in a skiing accident is bizarre. What it brings to light is the glorious uncertainties of life. Here today, gone tomorrow. The beauty of sport is you are in the present, as well as the past. You may leave the field of play, but the legacy left behind stays forever.
After all, John McEnroe versus Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras versus Andre Agassi, and most recently Djokovic versus Nadal and Federer still rage. It can spoil an evening when you are sipping spirits! Why? Simply because these debates are not academic but bring out the worst in fans. The debate/fight/argument over Ronaldo versus Messi as the greatest will linger. It is almost like a bad hangover, does not go away that easily even the next morning. Hang on, this generation, those born after 2000, may not be very familiar with another Ronaldo — Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, who scored 15 goals in 19 matches in the World Cup for Brazil. He won the World Cup for Brazil in 2002 and stays in our collective conscience. Had he not been plagued by injuries, it may have been a different story. He could have played much more.
Back to Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi, both are playing their final World Cup. Both have been unable to win it for their nations — Portugal and Argentina — till now. The hope and hype are, they can do it in the coming month. Wishful thinking? Dreaming? Reality? We will get to know in the coming days, Indeed, these two men have dazzled in club football at the highest level. Yet, what they have produced in the preceding World Cups till now in terms of goals is very average. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored seven goals in 17 matches, which included that famous hat-trick against Spain in 2018.
Also Read: Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand Of God’ Ball earns $2 Million at auction
In contrast, Messi has scored only six goals in the World Cup, four appearances, till now. The master with the left foot whose ball control resembles glue on his boot is magical. Yes, there is magic and body feint of sorts. Cristiano is different, he is more like the bulldozer in a destructive mode. Tall, powerful, and with great strides. What we are going to see, is that one last dance, from these two, will be poetic of sorts and, eventually, poignant. Pray for magic over the next few weeks.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)