Top News

The debate about where Lionel Messi stands among football’s all-time greats can be postponed for another day — for now, the world simply wants to savour his genius while it lasts.

When it comes to the sheer abundance of attacking talent, this World Cup is truly exceptional.

Indeed, it’s been years since we’ve seen such a concentration of elite stars. With Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise all gracing the same tournament, it feels like an overflow of footballing riches — and that’s just the headline acts.

Yet, despite this galaxy of talent, the top scorer and the man most responsible for driving his team forward remains Lionel Messi — the Argentinian icon who turns 39 on Wednesday.

Football discussions in the digital era have become almost obsessively centred on rankings and comparisons. What was once the stuff of harmless pub debates has now evolved into a dominant cultural fixation. Just look at how the Ballon d’Or has transformed from a minor news snippet into a year-round global spectacle — a sign of how the landscape has changed.

But even those who resist such endless comparisons must pause to reflect on what Messi has already achieved — and on what he might still accomplish this summer.

Diego Maradona secured his eternal place among football’s immortals when he led a relatively ordinary Argentina side to World Cup glory in 1986.

Messi could yet achieve that feat twice in succession — and at a stage of his life when most players have long since moved into punditry, coaching, or ceremonial appearances at major tournament draws.

There’s been an almost inevitable air surrounding Messi’s performances this summer. Naturally, he began with a hat-trick in the opening match. Naturally, he broke Miroslav Klose’s record in the second game with a brace against Austria. And naturally, those goals have placed him at the forefront of the race for the Golden Boot.

For all the feints, dribbles, and turns Messi has executed across his illustrious career, perhaps his greatest trick has been convincing us that such brilliance should simply be expected of him.

The comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo have long ceased to matter. That’s not a slight on the Portuguese great — who, being two and a half years older, is at a very different point in his career — but rather a recognition that the debate has lost its relevance.

At this stage, measuring Messi solely against his long-time rival feels reductive. Why get caught up in side arguments when the true pleasure lies in appreciating Messi’s enduring excellence, his continued relevance, and the sheer joy he brings to the game?

Messi is already the player future generations will revere in the same breath as our parents and grandparents spoke of Pele. There will be decades ahead for nostalgia, rankings, and futile attempts to pinpoint exactly where he stands among football’s greatest ever.

But we may have only a few more weeks to enjoy Messi in the present — especially on a stage of this magnitude.

So, cherish every moment while you can.