The main question revolves around the perceived importance of winning a major trophy for Argentina. In the Copa America Centenario, Messi broke Gabriel Batistuta’s record with his 55th goal for Argentina. So by that metric, he is the greatest player in Argentina’s history.


Those who do not think Messi is the best Argentinian player ever usually insist that Diego Maradona was better, though he only scored 34 goals. The main difference is that Maradona won a World Cup in 1986, most notable for his controversial “Hand of God” goal. For many Argentinians (and plenty of other people), this puts Maradona above Messi.


There is no good way to weigh each player's accomplishments against the other, considering the different eras, teammates, opponents, etc. Instead, it seems like the best way to differentiate the two is based on how we feel looking back on their careers (assuming Messi is done).


We look at Messi’s career, and we can not help but feel disappointed. For all his talent, he has lost 4 major tournament finals with Argentina, three of them in the last 8 years.


He is a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has won every conceivable trophy in his career at Barcelona. Those accomplishments stand in such strong contrast from his international achievements, so it is understandable to see why he takes so much criticism from the Argentinian fans and media (even though won Copa American once).


Messi takes a lot of criticism for not being a true Argentinian. Messi moved from Rosario, Argentina, to Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy when he was 13 years old, so he did not come of age at the big Argentinian clubs like Boca Juniors or River Plate. It makes sense that many fans do not identify Messi as a fellow Argentinian.


It does not help that he also received a Spanish passport and citizenship when he was 18, so he could gain a spot in Barcelona’s squad as a European citizen to avoid La Liga’s restrictions on foreign players. His life and career have not accentuated his Argentinian-ness, and he seems somehow foreign and different than his teammates, which you can feel when you watch him stare silently during Argentina’s national anthem.


The main point i am trying to get across is that Messi will be remembered as a Barcelona player before he will be remembered as an Argentinian one. The pictures of him that will last throughout time will most likely feature the blaugranes (Barcelona) more than the albiceleste (Argentina football team). His international legacy is absurdly complicated and disappointing.

Be that may my love for the 7th times Ballon D'or winner will remain as solid as mountain. Messi is one of the greatest player the world has ever seen. Hating him is a waste of time, a raw gifted talent, an incredible playmaker, round leather miracle worker, an astonishing record breaker, a strategist goal scorer just to name but a few.


Long Live Lionel Messi The Indisputable Lion King Of Football.