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Messi’s best chance to be immortalised

When Brazil’s Rivaldo trudged disconsolately past the World Cup trophy after the 1998 World Cup final, many wondered if one of the best players of his generation would follow the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, George Best, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Zico in never having won football’s ultimate prize.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi taking a free kick during the 2014 World Cup semi-finals between Argentina and the Netherlands at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo July 9, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS

Argentina’s Lionel Messi taking a free kick during the 2014 World Cup semi-finals between Argentina and the Netherlands at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo July 9, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS

When Brazil’s Rivaldo trudged disconsolately past the World Cup trophy after the 1998 World Cup final, many wondered if one of the best players of his generation would follow the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, George Best, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Zico in never having won football’s ultimate prize.

But while Rivaldo did win it four years later, fate might not be as kind to Lionel Messi.

Tomorrow’s final at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium could be Messi’s only chance at attaining footballing immortality and laying to rest the debate as to whether he is among football’s pantheon of true all-time greats.

Like the tennis Grand Slams and golf majors, the World Cup is football’s benchmark for greatness — you can be the No 1 ranked player, but unless you win titles that really matter, it doesn’t mean much.

Messi is, quite clearly, the most brilliant player of the past decade and beyond. Yet, the doubters still persist.

He may have won the world’s most important trophies in club football with Barcelona, but like it or not, he still has yet to do the same at international level for Argentina. That is the harsh and unfortunate reality.

In leading Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Diego Maradona cemented beyond all doubt his ability to cut it at the highest level. The fact that the World Cup happens only once every four years is what makes winning this rarest of accolades enough to cement reputations forever.

Fabio Cannavaro once told me all the Champions League winners’ medals cannot compare with a single World Cup winner’s medal. A single gold medal around your neck will always look better than 10 silvers or 20 bronzes.

At 27, this is Messi’s best opportunity. Messi needs his “Maradona moment” to rubber stamp his reputation. Unfortunately for the current master of the “gambeta” — that fast, intense dribbling style that is distinctively Argentinian — facing Germany does not make it any easier.

He may get another stab at winning the next World Cup in Russia, but four years is a long time and anything can happen.

Even for someone of his abilities, Messi needs to produce the performance of a lifetime to have a chance of returning to his hometown of Rosario as a world champion.

But if the most brilliant player of this era leaves the Maracana on Sunday (Monday morning, Singapore time) without the World Cup, it will be tragic.

Germany have been the tournament’s best side, but with the aura of Brazilian football now in tatters after the 7-1 mauling, this World Cup, seen by many as one of the best until that moment, needs a fairy tale ending.

The reputations of Puskas, Di Stefano, Best, Cruyff, Platini and Zico, however brilliant, will, unfortunately, be tinged with the fact that they never got their hands on football’s biggest prize. Messi is the modern master who should not join that list.

Tan Yo-Hinn is deputy sports editor at TODAY.

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