I was a little surprised the other day to see Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappe stay in the stadium after they both scored in the duel phase instead of going for a drink in the pub.
I am always surprised that people stay in a place where they have nothing to do.
Both of them did everything possible to bring their country the World Cup and it was impossible to ask for more from them.
The reason quickly became clear: they wanted to win the Jalabiya and see if at the end of the day they would be the best of all time.
Because today people are not satisfied with less.
nonsense.
I understand very well the sentiment of Messi himself and the supporters of Argentina at the end of a journey in which he will bring the country an achievement similar to that brought to it by Diego Maradona.
But to the question of the best player in history?
The penalty shootout and even the game itself were meaningless.
And I'm one of those who actually likes such discussions, if they are in the spirit of "all praiseworthy".
There are not too many good criteria for deciding such a question but there are some bad ones.
For example, winning the World Cup.
When Johan Cruyff - one of the most likely participants in the discussion - started playing football, there were only two professional football players in the Netherlands.
The team never qualified for a professional soccer tournament, and Ajax was not a very big club in the Netherlands.
Cruyff
Did everything, except win the World Cup, photo: AFP
In a breathtaking journey, he won the Champions Cup three times in a row, won the Ballon d'Or three times and changed football conceptually.
just what?
He lost the World Cup final in the game to the ever-achieving Germany.
He is one of the few who can defend their case in such a discussion.
It seems that we are going to the generation of Mbappe against Erling Holland.
The latter is Norwegian.
Can anyone sane demand that he win the cup with his team as Mbappe has already done?
And in contrast - Luka Modric's achievements in the national team are probably better than Messi or Mbappe.
It doesn't make him like them, just puts him in the gallery of the great.
Holland.
Probably won't win the World Cup with Norway - so no discussion?, Photo: Getty Images
And then there's the periodic thing.
Pele has never played in Europe.
He and Maradona never played in teams fueled by huge supporting stars like today's stars.
On the other hand, all the stars of the past almost never saw a non-local defender in a club game.
In a time of foreign restrictions, international stars were bought only for attack.
On the other hand, these defenders had a license to break legs.
On the other hand, today's doctors are the best of all time.
Most importantly: we saw every minute of Messi.
What is considered a good criterion?
We haven't seen fifty full games of Maradona or Cruyff.
Not ten of Pela, and not one of Alfredo di Stefano, which the adults who saw everything up to Maradona always considered him in the discussion.
So sorry - the internet poll you voted on is nonsense too.
What is considered a good criterion?
Here's one I'd love to share: How many years are you considered the best?
Every player can only be the best against his era.
In reality, the general level and physical demands of his time.
Here, too, there is a subjective matter, but there are testimonies of admissible witnesses - journalists, fans, players and coaches.
We know that Pele was considered the best in the world throughout the 1960s.
We know that Cruyff, Maradona and Di Stefano were considered as such for more than half a decade.
Even great ones - for example Platini, Van Basten, Ronaldinho - lasted two or three years.
So they don't.
Messi shared with Ronaldo 13-12 such years, and it is reasonable to say that in most of them he was better than him.
No other serious complaints.
It happened long before yesterday's game started.
To say that Messi wasn't there before the game started is a complete understatement.
Contempt for Kiryat Al.
Messi in the discussion of the greats in history - with Mati little.
Messi against Lloris in the final.
Winning is not the story, photo: EPA
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