Lionel Messi wants to go down as the Champions League GOAT
By Kian Long
FC Barcelona endured an emphatic 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, with Lionel Messi taking all the plaudits.
Tuesday night was definitely Lionel Messi’s night. The Argentine kicked off the Champions League with his club FC Barcelona, and within just 90 minutes, he reminded the world why the competition is so prestigious. He scored a hat-trick, including his 42nd career free-kick. That’s right, it wasn’t a misspelling, he has genuinely scored forty two free kicks.
I hate to be the one to bring up the age-old Ronaldo vs Messi debate, but there’s no way to avoid it nowadays. Cristiano Ronaldo kicks off his Champions League campaign tonight against Valencia, his first European game in Juventus colours. The Portuguese has won the last three consecutive titles, and he’ll be looking to impress yet again.
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However, I feel like it will be Barcelona’s year this time round. Not to be reactionary, but there are a lot of factors which could suggest this outcome. First off, the quality surrounding Messi is arguably a lot better than those surrounding Ronaldo. As great as Ronaldo is, there’s only a certain number of times he can carry his side to glory.
Lionel Messi is entering the closing stages of his career – a time no football fan wanted to come. Ageing at 31, he still has a couple of rolls left of the Champions League dice. He sits just one behind Ronaldo on the number of times he has lifted the trophy, with Messi lifting it four times and Ronaldo a total of five.
While no legacy will be hindered, there will obviously be that spark in Messi to to end his career on more Champions League titles than his Portuguese counterpart. The importance of that comes down to perspective, but it’ll certainly be a good topic of debate for the future football generations.
If Lionel Messi can continue his fine form into matchday two of the competition, there’s no reason why Barcelona can’t claim success this season. He will then become level with Cristiano, and only one behind the legendary Francisco Gento (current record holder).
I think Messi has it in him to win two more Champions League trophies, if things go his way. If he does, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be considered the greatest of all time in the competition.
The iconic moments probably favour Ronaldo, but future generations won’t rely on iconic moments. They will see the records, and see that Lionel Messi won more than the Portuguese.
Next. How did Messi's teammates fare in matchday 1?. dark
Do you think Lionel Messi will win the Champions League with FC Barcelona this season?