October 16, 2004. The date is etched in the football annals. A much-hyped 17-year-old Argentine forward Lionel Messi played his first game in La Liga as he came on as a substitute eight minutes from time. Who would have thought that almost two decades later he would still be talked about in the same vein?! Yes, Messi continues to be relevant. On Monday, the 36-year-old won men’s player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards for December 19, 2022-August 20, 2023.
Messi is well and truly the last man standing. He has left all the competition behind. Only a few years ago, many took his and Cristiano Ronaldo’s name in the same breath. Not anymore! While the 38-year-old Ronaldo has been kind of languishing – having his high standards in mind – in the Saudi Pro League playing for Al Nassr, Messi continues to make massive strides in the world of football. The latest award proves that.
There was a time when Ronaldo appeared to have the upper hand in the rivalry. In terms of their club performances, both were going great guns, more or less. Ronaldo was playing for Real Madrid; Messi for Barcelona. Two biggest teams in the history of La Liga. Then in 2016, Portugal won the Euro under Ronaldo and that triumph gave him a massive edge in the Messi-Ronaldo debate.
One can expect easy games in the World Cup but not in the Euro. It’s another thing that the football World Cup attracts the global audience like none does in the sports world so remains the most-awaited competition. So Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win under Messi tilted the debate back to a great degree in his favour.
Despite tasting the ultimate success with Argentina, Messi has not waned. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has been through hell. Believe it or not, he has been booed in the Saudi Pro League quite a few times since joining them last year. If truth be told, on the football field he sometimes looks like the flame that is about to die out.
Messi, meanwhile, last year in July joined Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS) after helping Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title earlier with nine goals. For the American side, he scored 10 goals in seven games as Inter Miami won the inaugural Leagues Cup.
Messi beat Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and PSG’s Kylian Mbappé to win his third best men’s player award, having previously claimed it in 2019 and 2022.
Messi’s longevity in the game is just remarkable. Players often tend to fizzle out when they have achieved so much. The desire to achieve more and more is not there anymore. But with Messi, it’s totally the other way around. He is not the same footballer in terms of skills as he was in his 20s but in terms of his desire to win more and more tournaments and trophies, he has only got better. Only a few months ago, he had won his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or. These awards are great reflections on his recent performances. So at a time when most players contemplate retirement, Messi is busy consolidating his legacy.
“It’s nice to be here once more to enjoy this moment. To be able to win the World Cup and achieve my dream. I couldn’t imagine having the career I’ve had and everything I’ve achieved, the fortune I’ve had to be part of the best team in history. All of them [Ballon d’Or awards] are special for different reasons,” he said after winning the Ballon d’Or in October.
There are no signs of stopping for Messi as of now. It appears he still has a few years of top-level football left in him. While he is not sure if he will play in the next World Cup in 2026, he is certain to play the Copa America later this year. Of course, being a smart person, he has short targets for himself going forward. But fans can feel it in their gut that if there are no injuries, Messi will be seen in the US-Canada-Mexico event with the same hunger for success that he has demonstrated in the past two decades of his football career, either playing for his clubs or his country.