WHY FIVE SHOULD BE LAST FOR MESSI

The greatest ever? That is the feeling here. While critics may find fault in the lack of a World Cup in his trophy cabinet, there is no denying that Lionel Messi has dominated the modern game in ways no one else has and no one else might.

When he claimed a debut win of the prized individual award in Zurich on a cold evening on December 1st in 2009, few would have expected the unprecedented run of three more successive wins that followed. At twenty two then, Messi had shown great promise to earn the monicker 'one of the best of his generation' yet, when he claimed his fifth Ballon d'or on Monday the 11th 2016, it has set tongues rolling, further putting to boil the debate of whether he is the greatest of the sport or merely one of the hallmarks.

For Messi though, the debates are pointless, as, by his own admission, he would trade the five of them for a World Cup. But Messi should have no doubts, he is defining an era in ways no other player has and in winning the fifth Ballon d'or, a milestone in a game that has seen Edison Arantes (Pele), Diego Maradonna, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and more, Messi has shown he belongs to the class of the elite; a legend, a collosus and and an eternal footprint. It is this that should make him consider handing his future Ballon d'Or wins to an up coming player.

A truth that will hold is that, as long as Messi keeps his mercurial performances constantly mercurial, not even the excellent human in second will come close to claiming the Ballon d'Or. Cristiano Ronaldo does his best, and at his best he is in his own league, yet even he, the supposed rival to Messi, has been left nipping at his heels not only in Ballon d'Or wins but also in trophies won throughout their respective careers.

Messi is great, and he knows that. Which is why he should maybe consider turning down future Ballon d'Or wins. It is not so as to be 'a good person' or to hand a platform on a silver plata to new players but as an acknowledgement of his own status. Truth is, very few players at their best can match Messi at his best. This then leaves their chances of winning the Ballon d'Or at almost nill, just ask Manuel Neuer, probably the best keeper of his generation and the best player of 2010 in many people's eyes. There comes a time when turning down plaudits, after receiving many similar ones in the past, is a show of greatness. For Messi, his own incredible path has already outlived him. Alongside Cristiano, these two have shattered virtually all scoring records in football. Messi has won the Golden ball five times. He should consider handing away his future win so as to give newer players an opportunity to try and wrestle the title. It is highly dubious that they will succeed, but even if they do, Messi's status as an icon cannot be rubbed off. He is a landmark in modern football. We need more like him, but we can't have them if his shadow looms over them like a dark cloud.










Photo : m.heraldscotland.com/sport

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