Lionel Messi is universally recognized as the best footballer in the world. His quick dribbling and slippery tricks on the ball put him in a class of his own.
Already at 24, he is an electrifying striker, playmaker and talent.
But is it for the best? Let's see five reasons why the Argentine isn't the best player in the world.
No Right Foot
Messi has a sensational left foot for everyone. The way he strikes the ball and can slice quickly has proven unstoppable for many opponents. Do you have the best left foot in the world? Yes, anyway. So what is the problem? Messi is a one-footed player and that makes his game difficult. His right foot isn't level with his left foot, which has led to him taking bad shots and sometimes causing him to fumble for the ball. Great players like Messi's Barcelona teammate David Villa and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney use both feet. To be the best in the world, Messi needs to improve his right foot.
Never Played Outside of La Liga
Lionel Messi plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga, arguably one of the best football teams in the world. La Liga in Spain is known for its fast play, control and technical ability. His teams are known for playing a 'pretty' style of football which goes perfectly with Messi's gifted footwork. There's no problem playing in La Liga, it's actually one of the most prestigious leagues in the world. However, we always wondered if Lionel Messi could succeed in another league. Take the English Premier League for example. The Premier League is known for its aggressive and difficult game.
Could Messi succeed in a much more physical championship, measuring just 1.60m?
Well, we may never know, but we know that Christiano Ronaldo can (play for Manchester United) and I would be skeptical that Messi can do the same, especially against players like Terry and Vidic.
Plays with World's Best Center Midfield
"Leo" Messi is privileged and qualified enough to play for FC Barcelona. However, their magic game wouldn't be possible without the help of a few other star teammates.
Messi is the benefactor of playing with the best midfielders in the world and passing the ball to them. FC Barcelona boys Xavi and Andrés Iniesta are undoubtedly two of the best central midfielders in the world. They can even be the best and they proved it by winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Messi has the privilege of playing against these two players and most of his goals come from passing. We may never know who looks better or if Messi could do without. However, we know that Messi probably couldn't calculate the goals himself.
World Cup Woes
If you are the best player in the world, you should be able to dominate the game and lead your team to victory. I know there are 10 other players on your team, but if you're the best in the world, your team should have an advantage. Messi hails from the great country of Argentina and they are also good at football. He is lucky to have other great players like Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain in his squad. Unfortunately, Messi couldn't lead Argentina to the World Cup even with the help of his teammates.
Messi has appeared in two World Cups and scored just one goal in nine games. In these two World Cups, Argentina failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals and had a much lower performance.
Although Leo has done reasonably well as a playmaker in these games, it's hard to see if he has what it takes to lead Argentina to a World Cup.
If Messi was the best player in the world, he should be able to lead his team to World Cup prominence. Maradona won a World Cup for Argentina, Messi must do the same to become the greatest in the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo Is Better
That's what I said, Cristiano Ronaldo is a better footballer than Leo Messi.
For this reason:
Ronaldo scored 40 goals and Messi 31 in La Liga last year. Yes, I know it's not a huge gap, but Ronaldo's goals have surpassed Messi's.
Ronaldo can score with his head, left or right, and he's also a magician with the ball. Messi is just bad in the air and can't direct the ball.
Not only that, but Messi has no game with Ronaldo's aggressive pace. Ronaldo is much more of a physical force on the pitch and his extra 20cm height over Messi doesn't hurt.
Messi can take free kicks but he's just not as good as Ronaldo. Even though Ronaldo has been bad at the free kick this year, he has a long history as one of the best and Messi isn't there yet.
In general, Messi is a great football player but Ronaldo is superior and that means Messi is not the best player in the world.
Wolski Kala