Does Failure to Win the World Cup Make Messi Less Special than Maradona or Pele?

The World Cup is the premier tournament of football. Any football player, no matter where they play, dreams of lifting the coveted trophy watched by millions upon millions of adoring fans. Winning the World Cup makes you an instant legend, and especially with the tough competition these days, it is considered the crowning achievement of a players’ career.

Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar and four time Ballon d’Or winner, is probably the most famous and talented player in World football at the moment. His home country is one of the most football crazy nations on the planet and has what is probably the most intimidating attacking lineup in World football. The Argentines, therefore, were widely expected to reach the finals at least, with the tournament being played in home conditions.

And they lived up to the pre-tournament hype, reaching the final on the back of several solid displays. Though their victories were maybe not as convincing as the ones Germany or the Netherlands produced in the group stages, they established themselves as serious contenders. And for a while in the final, it looked like they would be able to do it, with the South American side having the better chances and controlling most of the play in the opening half hour. The end result proved otherwise of course, but no one could say that Argentina did not try. And yet, their defeat was linked to captain Lionel Messi. It was almost as if, more than the team, Messi’s failure to win the World Cup was what mattered.

This is of course partly a result of the massive media coverage of football these days. Every incident and game is thoroughly debated upon, and players even more so, with each and every match being critiqued time and again. It is inevitable that a player will have bad games once in a while. No one can be expected to perform flawlessly every game. And yet, Messi missing the free kick in the dying stages of the game was considered to be the point where Argentina lost it.

This is highly unfair to the player. Admittedly, he is the captain and talisman of an Argentine side that is hungry for glory, with over twenty years having passed since their last triumph in the tournament. But to expect Messi to guide them there solely by himself is asking too much of a player who has already given his heart and soul to playing for his country. While it is true Messi has scored opportunities like that free kick before, he was not the only player to miss out that night. Gonzalo Higuain missed a one-on-one chance early in the game that could totally have altered the course of the final. But Messi missing his freekick under tremendous pressure and while severely fatigued is the moment that was highlighted, simply because he is that good a player that he is expected to convert every single time.

And yet, despite this, after the World Cup a prevailing opinion was that this made him, somehow, inferior to the likes of Pele and Maradona. While those two greats are admittedly in a class of their own, Messi is one of the few who stands a chance of equaling their fame. He has already won trophies beyond count with his club, and considering his age, will definitely have at least one more shot to win the World Cup.

Also, what people fail to take into account is the opposition, as well as his teammates. While this Argentina team is strong, it was hardly at full strength. Angel di Maria, their best player after Messi, missed the final thorough injury. Sergio Aguero, their first choice striker, failed to completely recover from the knock sustained during the club season. Gonzalo Higuain struggled to find form throughout the tournament. The fact that they reached the final, despite all this, is in itself proof of how talented a player Messi is. Argentina’s run through the group stages was solely due to him, as he scored the winner against both Bosnia and Iran and put two past Nigeria. Without him, they would have struggled to make it out of the group. Even in the knockout stages, he was a constant threat on the ball, setting up di Maria’s winner against Switzerland. Their opponents in the final, Germany, were the strongest team in the tournament by far. They had their strongest players on the pitch and their emphatic demolition of pre-tournament favorites Brazil has sent a clear message about their intentions. That Argentina lost by a one goal margin after extra time to that team in such a close game further illustrates the strength of the Argentine team and their captain.

And while Pele and Maradona’s achievements can in no way be lessened, it must be noted that they played and won at a time when European teams were still uncomfortable against the speed and passing of the South American teams. With the increasing number of South American players in Europe however, that discomfort is all but gone nowadays, and this is a significant advantage for the European teams against Latin opposition.

While it is true that winning the World Cup ensures that a player will hold a special place in the hearts of the fans, not all great players are able to do so. The immensely talented Johan Cruyff, one of the most gifted players in the modern game, also never managed to win the World Cup, losing the 1974 final to Germany. That has in no way reduced the respect that he commands, and I believe that it shall be the same for Messi. On the day of the final, Germany were the better team. This should not make Lionel Messi inferior to anyone else, or diminish his other achievements. And if he does ever manage to win the World Cup, he will probably be regarded as the best player ever to grace the field of football.