Argentina's Lionel Messi reopened the debate around the greatest player of all time with a World Cup-winning performance in the final against France on Sunday.
The 35-year-old scored twice in an unforgettable showdown with Kylian Mbappe and the defending world champions, with his penalty in the first half and scrambled effort in extra time ultimately helping to force a penalty shootout which his side won.
In doing so, Messi clinched the only trophy which had previously eluded him in his illustrious career, joining fellow GOAT candidates Pele and Diego Maradona as World Cup winners.
Here, the Sports Mole team discuss whether or not Messi deserves to be regarded as the greatest footballer to have ever graced the game.
Barney Corkhill, Editor
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Yes, for me Messi was the best player of all time for a good few years before Sunday's final, and getting his hands on the World Cup only strengthens his claim to the throne, eliminating the easiest and strongest counter-argument.
The Argentine maestro has now won it all and boasts an incredible 793 goals and 350 assists from his 1,003 career outings - a goal contribution every 72 minutes over the course of more than 1,000 games.
Those numbers are truly remarkable and ones that not even Maradona and Pele can match, while the list of magical moments Messi provides seems to grow by the week.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is one of the greatest goalscorers, creators, passers and free-kick takers we have ever seen, to name just four aspects of his game, and I firmly believe that no other player in the history of the sport can rank so highly across the board.
Joel Lefevre, Reporter
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I always hate these debates of who is the greatest ever because while it generates for plenty of fun and interesting banter, I find it minimises the role others play on a team that wins at anything.
Secondly in football every position comes with different responsibilities, so no position is the same, and I firmly believe the role of a defensive midfielder, winger, centre-back, goalkeeper, striker and more are all valuable and can make the difference between winning and losing on any given day.
However, when it comes to most valuable players - i.e. the most valuable to one's side - it's hard for me not to put Lionel Messi at the top of that list. He's won everything there is to win at club level and international level now and he was the primary reason each time.
He's done just about everything well in his game too, from making runs deep into his team's side of the field, to setting up goals, scoring, plus his ball movement, and poise under pressure are exquisite and I cannot recall anyone who is still elite in all aspects of his position at his age, as not even Diego Maradona and Pele could do the things Messi is still doing.
He might not necessarily be the best in all of those elements mentioned, however I don't know too many footballers past and present that have had the kind of versatility that Messi has.
As a former player I hate comparisons but I believe Messi for now is the best individual player I have ever witnessed, although I would not be surprised if in a decade or two his current club teammate at Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe exceeds his G.O.A.T status.
Jonny Webb, Reporter
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I do believe Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time.
The World Cup triumph does not change anything in the G.O.A.T debate for me - Messi was already the greatest player of all time in my eyes before the World Cup in Qatar. If Argentina had not triumphed in yesterday's thrilling final, that would not have diminished Messi's legacy in any way for me personally and I would still believe he is the greatest player of all time.
However, adding a World Cup winners' medal to his incredible collection of titles offers a fairytale ending. It completes the set.
It feels right that the greatest player of all time finally got his hands on the World Cup trophy. Any other players that have been labelled the greatest player of all time before Messi came along - whether that is Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo etc. - have tasted success at the World Cup.
Messi finally has his seat at that table now, and he sits at the top.
Barney Corkhill
