Lionel Messi has ascended at last to football’s celestial rostrum, his elevation authenticated in the most scintillating of all World Cup Finals.
Amid the heart-stopping euphoria of Sunday night in Qatar, the emotional outpouring to acclaim him as the Greatest Of All Time was inevitable.
As the sands of that eye-scorching desert storm settle on Doha, time to calibrate the exact position the little maestro now occupies in that divine triumvirate. The crystal reality, for this genius of his generation, is third in history.
Lionel Messi has been widely named the greatest footballer ever after winning the World Cup
They ignore the brilliance of three-time World Cup winner and scorer of 1,000 goals: Pele
One behind his iconic Argentine brother in golden boots Diego Maradona, who adorned similar artistry to Messi with dynamic after-burners of physical power and electrifying pace over long as well as short distances.
Still standing supreme over all is Pele.
The three World Cups – against one – and the thousand goals pre-eminent beyond rational dispute. Beyond that the god of the beautiful game, first Christened Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was the ultimate.
Just as magical as Messi on the ball, unstoppable strike force reinforced by raw courage, totally two-footed, phenomenal in the air, MENSA intelligence. In short, the complete footballer. Alone in his absolute perfection. The GOAT.
That judgement may sit easier on Messi now he has seen off beyond sensible argument the challenge of Cristiano Ronaldo as the finest player on the planet today.
As with the selection of all-time world and England teams, as well as the cataloguing of most exceptional Finals, these assessments are divined from more than half a century of reporting World Cups, Euros, European-Cups-cum-Champions Leagues and thousands upon thousands of FA Cup Finals and League games.
The magnificent elevens require some defensive balance along with finding places for as many of the individual wonders as possible.
There is no place in the best ever England line-up for any of the Qatar quarter-finalists.
Harry Kane was strongest in the reckoning but as his 2022 World Cup subsided beneath the political virtue signalling and captain’s pastoral care for his team-mates, so the No 9 shirts rests on Wayne Rooney’s broad shoulders.
For younger readers, herewith a few insights into some of the other immortal names.
Garrincha is regarded by millions of Brazilians as even greater than Pele and his mesmeric conjuring of a football did have the more direct impact on most of their World Cups.
The other great Argentinian number 10, Diego Maradona, also places above Messi all-time
Alfredo Di Stefano, the third almighty Argentine, orchestrated from midfield the greatest of all club teams. That first incarnation of Real Madrid. Scoring goals by the bundles into his brilliance.
Johan Cruyff was the embodiment of the Total Football played by Holland’s golden generation.
John Charles was a colossus, as majestic at centre-forward as he was monumental at centre-half.
I was honoured by a close up view of his magnificence when playing with him in a testimonial match one wet night at Reading FC.
Towards the end Rod Stewart – yes, that Rod Stewart – went haring down the right wing. As his long, high cross came looping over I found myself in space at the far post, expecting the ball to clear the melee in the penalty area and fall to me as a chance at goal.
Through the gloom this giant figure soared above the crossbar and that anvil of a forehead thundered in the third goal of his hat-trick.
As he landed Big John turned, patted me on the head and said: ‘Sorry, boyo. I couldn’t resist it.’
Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured) is only good enough for ninth on this list of footballing GOATs
No more than opponents of Wales, Leeds and Juventus – where he was deified in Italy – could resist him.
George Best, the fifth Beatle of the Beatle age, was poetry in motion. Courageous to the point of luring the most fearsome defenders into lunges which he eluded as he darted away to take and make goals.
No slouch defensively, either. After he ran riot at Anfield one Saturday afternoon legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly ruminated: ‘Aye, wee Georgie. All that and the deepest tackler in the game.’
Ferenc Puskas, check the near-goal-a-game career record. Di Stefano’s henchman at Real Madrid. Leader of the first foreign storming of Fortress Wembley – 6-3 for Hungary’s mighty Magyars – followed by a 7-1 slaughter of England six months later in Budapest.
So here are talent-rich lists. Let the tap-room debates begin.
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