Messi World Cup: End of GOAT debate? Lionel Messi surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo with FIFA World Cup Triumph, Check OUT

Messi World Cup: Messi vs Ronaldo – Lionel Messi completed football as he clinched his maiden World Cup title on Sunday in Doha. The 35-year-old scored a brace & converted his penalty in the shootout as Argentina edged out France in the FIFA World Cup final. The World Cup title was the only missing piece of silverware in Messi’s trophy cabinet and he now surpasses long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. Follow FIFA World Cup updates on Insidesport.IN

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Messi World Cup: End of GOAT debate? Lionel Messi surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo with FIFA World Cup Triumph, Check OUT

Lionel Messi cemented his legacy as one of the greatest of all time following Argentina’s success at the FIFA World Cup 2022. Messi won the golden ball leading Argentina to victory with seven goals in the tournament. His achievements at club and international levels mirror those of Pele and Maradona, putting him in a league of his own.

The 35-year-old thus leaves long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, behind. World Cup success was something that eluded both Ronaldo and Messi, but the latter ended his wait on Sunday. Ronaldo will be 41 by the time the next World Cup rolls in, making it practically impossible for him to match up to his rival.

Messi and Ronaldo have gone toe to toe at the club level in terms of individual accolades and team trophies in their glorious careers. While the former has more league titles, Ronaldo boasts of more UCL titles to his name. Messi has steered clear in the Ballon d’Or race with seven to his name. In comparison, the 37-year-old has five.

Messi World Cup: End of GOAT debate? Lionel Messi surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo with FIFA World Cup Triumph, Check OUT

Ronaldo achieved international success with Portugal at the 2016 Euro, while leading them to the Nations League title a few years later. International success was hard to come by for Messi after three final defeats. He however has turned around a new page with three titles in the past 18 months.

🐐 The GOAT debate is settled. The ultimate prize is now part of the collection. The legacy is complete.

On the day @Argentina won their third #FIFAWorldCup, Leo Messi is your @Budweiser Player of the Match. 🐐

🇦🇷 #ARGFRA 🇫🇷 #POTM #YoursToTake #BringHomeTheBud @budfootball pic.twitter.com/4wAQD2pSyt

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2022

However, Ronaldo finds himself at crossroads. The 37-year-old is without a club after Manchester United released him, while he lost the favour of Portugal coach Fernando Santos. It is unclear whether he still has an international future. All this while, Ronaldo has bossed around teams in the World Cup on his way to glory.

Messi’s World Cup win all but settles the debate and elevates him to the company of Diego Maradona and Pele. For Ronaldo, however, it seems like a step too far.