Although it’s long been contended that Lionel Messi is one of the best players to have played the game of football, it seems that such proclamations have always come with a caveat.
More often than not, it’s by way of comparison to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele or Diego Maradona.
It’s as if football watchers or commentators can’t praise Messi for his accomplishments without also bringing any one of the other footballing legends into the conversation.
After usurping Pele’s all-time record of goals for one club – Messi now has 644 after his strike against Valladolid – that has to stop.
Gary Lineker was just one to note on Twitter just how ridiculous a record his new mark was:
To beat Messi’s 644 goal record, someone will have to score an average of 43 goals a season for 15 years….for one club. ?
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 22, 2020
Given how many scoring, assisting and playing records the Argentinian now holds, it’s about time that he was given appropriate respect.
There will surely never be another player that will affect the sport of football in the way that Messi has and for so long a period.