Only for Di Maria, Messi would have never played in a major international final.
Messi was the player of the 2014 World Cup. Here he is receiving the Golden Ball in recognition of that.
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He scored a stunning goal to beat Iran in the group.
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Maybe he should have tried scoring a few goals rather than taking undeserved rewards.
Not to be sniffed at. Scotland thought they were going to win the 1978 World Cup and they came unstuck first game against Iran.
If we’re talking about the top ten players of the last 50 years say …how does Messis record stack up against them? Maradona obviously won WC single handedly but did little else at international level and only won a uefa at European club level. Fat Ronaldo owned the 02 WC but did little at European club level in terms of final goals etc (?). Messi has flopped a fair bit at both levels but I’d imagine every great player has ?
Bar final Did fat Ronaldo not have an all round better World Cup in 1998 than more a goal scoring one in 2002?I can’t remember 
Fat Ron was unreal at France 98. Was never the same player after the knee injuries.
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He was class alright … Just checked there ,Oliver Kahn got voted player of tournament in 2002 , I’d never have guessed that r. remember him letting in a howler v Ronaldo in final …
Think player of the tournament is voted before the final as its then awarded straight after
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Think fatso got 8 goals in 02. He def would have been the best of modern era only for the injuries and acting the cunt a bit off the pitch. Messi and muscly Ronaldo are really in the conversation due to their consistency over such a long period of time helped a lot by clean living that Diego ronaldinho and fatty didn’t have.
It’s an interesting question for the likes of @Cheasty though to pull together the overall records of all the greats. Cristiano and Messi get judged harshly by a lot of people given how much we see of them but I’d say all the great players flopped in big games and in full seasons far more than we think.
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Messi and Ronaldo play a lot more big games also. Maradona barely played in the European Cup for example. Ronaldinho fairly flopped at the 2006 World Cup in his prime IIRC
Maradona played the majority of his career with an ankle held together with pins and cortisone injections to get him through training sessions
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Diego
Diego
Diego
Messi is half the player he is for Argentina that he is for Barcelona and that’s why he’s not in the greatest category.
It really was one of the truly great moments in football and indeed sporting history last night with the great Lionel Messi fulfilling his destiny leading Argentina to a major title by beating their arch-rivals Brazil on their home territory.
A real victory for the good guys, and the greatest guy of them all.
I’m still buzzing from it, and so is anybody who loves football.
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The great Kevin Heffernan said after Dublin beat Kerry in an All Ireland Final in 1976 for the first time in 50 odd years, that beating Kerry in a final was like winning two. Something similar for Argentina to beat Brazil in a final. Not even the great Diego Maradona managed to achieve that. It’s a spectacular win for the great Lionel Messi.
A charlatan
It’s the very first time since the fabled final match of the 1950 World Cup that Brazil have lost a competitive match at the Maracana. That proves the magnitude of Messi’s achievement last night.
What about Germany scoring 7 to knock them out of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?