For more than a decade, footballers have argued about who is better between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two players who belong to this generation practically enjoyed performing different feats and winning titles in football.
However, Messi has only been called a successful player at club level as he has yet to win any major trophies with Argentina. He reached three Copa America finals, in 2007, 2015 and 2016 where he failed to win the trophy, and one World Cup final in 2014 in Brazil, where his team lost to Germany.
However, Ronaldo was seen as better as he helped Portugal win the UEFA European Championship and Nations League in 2016 and 2019 respectively. But things changed for Messi in 2021 as his side beat Brazil 1-0 in the 2021 Copa America final by winning his first major title with Argentina.
On 1 June 2022, Argentina, who became Conmebol champions in the 2021 Copa America, beat Italy 3-0 in the 2022 Grand Final to win another title before capping their success by winning the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022.
Sadly, Ronaldo was a shadow of his former self at the same World Cup where he was left on the bench and his Portugal recorded a 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16.
Although Argentina suffered a 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opener, they lifted the trophy and Messi’s side became only the second team after Spain in 2010 to lose their opener winning the World Cup.
If winning the World Cup was a yardstick used by critics to determine who is better between Messi and Ronaldo, now that Messi has won the World Cup has undoubtedly confirmed that Messi is better and should end the debate. .
