While Lionel Messi may have finally overcome his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo once and for all this season, his failure at international level is a hoodoo that lingers.

For years, the debate has raged about whether Messi or Ronaldo is the world’s greatest player; the messiah or the machine.

Ronaldo’s arrival at Real Madrid in 2009 took football to another level as both players dazzled the world with endless breath-taking performances. Blitzes of goals have become a regular norm for the duo, who have broken records upon records along the way.

In the wake of the intense battle between Messi and Ronaldo the debate about who is better of the two follows swiftly afterwards.

It’s difficult to reach a logical conclusion because both players move at almost the same speed.

This has made both players to be almost level with regards to most of their records.

Messi’s fantastic season was heightened with the combination of Luis Suarez and Neymar, the trio bagging a record 122 goals between them, Messi having the bulk, of course.

he diminutive Argentine played in a much deeper role behind Neymar and Suarez, giving the duo more opportunities to score delivering those exquisite passes from the midfield into the frontmen yet Messi was still able to outscore both Neymar and Suarez with more than half of his goals coming in the second half of the season.

Neymar, at some point of the season, was ahead of Messi, but the Rosario native still ended up bagging 58 goals, continuing his trend of scoring 50+ goals in recent times, while Neymar had 39 goals and Suarez 25 goals.

If Messi can score so many goals, despite not playing as the go-to central striker, and in something of a supporting role, what more is there to prove?

Tellingly, perhaps, there was a gulf in the two men’s trophy hauls this season, a chasm which has begun to increase, largely due to Real’s failings once again, both domestically and in Europe.

Lionel Messi capped off a sensational 2014/2015 season by winning a remarkable treble of trophies for the second time after his previous haul of six in 2009. The Argentine maestro was instrumental as Luis Enrique’s side consolidated their status as the kings of modern football.

Ronaldo, by contrast, was left empty-handed, as Real Madrid—the Decima heros of 2014—began to unravel.

The former Manchester United man may have pipped his rival in the scoring charts, but it was Messi who took home the gold.

However, even if he has seen off Ronaldo, there is one other nagging question mark about the player’s career.

Presently in Chile on Copa America duty for Argentina, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner—who won his 100th cap for the South American giants against Jamaica last weekend—has impressed in the tournament so far. He delivered superb performances against Paraguay and Uruguay in the group stage and will be looking to make a key contribution against Colombia in the Albiceleste’s upcoming quarter-final.

Following the misery of missing out on winning the World Cup last year, the forward, who turned 28 on Wednesday, will look to guide his nation to the continent’s final four this Friday evening.

Winning the continental showpiece will finally add silverware to Messi's international trophy cabinet, which has been empty ever since he made his debut for the national side 10 years ago. Admittedly, there has been glory in the Olympics (at U23 level), and success in the youth World Cup, but nothing in the way of senior honours.

For a player who has been so decorated during his career—both as an individual and as a part of several magnificent Barcelona sides—his relative failure with Argentina is an anomaly that he will be hoping to address over the coming weeks.

That’s not to say Messi has not been close to success with the national side; he lost the 2007 Copa America final to fierce rivals Brazil following a galling 3-0 defeat, while it took an extra-time winner from Germany last summer to deny Argentina in the World Cup final.

Four years ago, on home soil, the Copa America represented an ideal opportunity to win his first national-team gold, but that venture also ended in disappointment—a quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Uruguay.

Had Messi lifted last year’s World Cup, he would definitely have had a superior edge over Ronaldo and possibly his compatriot Diego Maradona, surely catapulting the superstar into a league of his own (if he’s not there already).

The Copa America would do…for now at least.

Read it here: http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4082/editorial/2015/06/25/13033842/lionel-messi-has-seen-off-cristiano-ronaldo-can-he-now-win

The midget has nothing to prove again. The world of football will never forget him.

I don't think he even needs this copa America to be crowned world best

He(they) may win it but with the way they are playing it is a long shot.

nerodenero:
The midget has nothing to prove again. The world of football will never forget him.

gbam