It was never in doubt anyway but Lionel Messi finally put an end to the tired and trite debate once and for all when he held the World Cup aloft. The fairytale last act to a career of utter fantasy. Legacy secured beyond reproach.
In the minds of many Messi was already the best player of his generation if not of all time and how fortunate we've been to witness his awe-inspiring reign at the top of the mountain, from the first steps of the climb to the crowning achievement. Yet, despite all the goals, all the medals and the countless moments of breathtaking magic, the World Cup remained a resounding void in his list of honours. A stick that could always be used in a desperate attempt to downplay Messi's excellence.
That was until at the age of 35 he inspired a team of talented, heroic, unrelenting and just a little bit nauseating (Emi Martinez, that is) Argentina to their third World Cup triumph. The first since the man whose footsteps he has danced in for all his life, Diego Maradona, did exactly the same thing.
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Cristiano Ronaldo fanboys can scream until theyy are blue in the face. There is no longer, if there ever was, any feasible argument he is better than Messi. That's not to downplay Ronaldo's own remarkable achievements and longevity. Any other generation and he would have been undisputed. But unfortunately for him, he happened to be born only a couple of years before his eternal rival.
Pep Guardiola is in a similar position, though in a managerial capacity, as his former player was just over five weeks ago. The Manchester City boss is already regarded as the best manager of the modern game and many would have him among the best of all time. Sir Alex Ferguson would be his biggest rival in that regard but there are several tactical innovators and repeated winners who make it a competitive field.
A remaining black mark against Guardiola, though, is his lack of recent success in the Champions League. Despite managing three of the world's best clubs and at City having a near unlimited budget, a collection of sensational players and a club structure specifically designed from top to bottom in his image, he has only ever won the competition with Messi at his disposal - the last success coming at Wembley in 2011.
Winning tournaments is hard. Very. The margin for error is minuscule and winning them should be a marker of quality rather than losing them being a sign of a lack of it. Yet, for a manager of Guardiola's unrivalled ability with the resources he's had, to go so long without winning it does raise questions of his legacy.
Much of the ammunition aimed at Guardiola is that he's yet to win the Champions League without Messi and there is also the manner of some of his exits from the competition in recent years. The final defeat by Chelsea after he bizarrely left out a proper defensive midfielder, losses to Liverpool, Tottenham, Monaco, Lyon and Real Madrid. The hammerings at the hands of Barcelona and Real Madrid at Bayern. Nearly every exit has come with regrets.
Guardiola's lack of European success over the last 10 years is a darkening blotch on his success and he has now admitted for the first time that he needs to bring the famous trophy to the Etihad. "It's not the only one, but I admit that's the trophy that we want. Of course, it wouldn't be complete my period here if we don't win," he said.
"It's not the only reason I extend my contract. Absolutely not. I couldn't live, what it means the last 11 months they don't play the Champions League. Of course, I will do everything in this time we are together and we are going to try, but we try before.
"Of course, it's the trophy we don't have and we try to do it. I have the feeling this club, with the people who lead, sooner or later will get it. We tried in the past, the first season in the last-16 we are out. We tried with all our strength and power. Of course, we will try it."
The candid admission may well have been inspired by Messi securing his own legacy and now Guardiola has invited the pressure to become even more intense upon himself to finally deliver his ultimate goal at City and ensure he has no lingering questions over his own.
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