How Lionel Messi left the GOAT debate behind with World Cup 2022 win in Qatar?

After finally winning World Cup, Lionel Messi made his strongest case yet to be considered soccer’s greatest player of all time.

It will never be possible to say definitively, though, even after Argentina's 4-2 penalty shootout victory over France on Sunday in final at Lusail Stadium.

Messi has been his country's inspiration throughout tournament in Qatar and scored twice in game that finished 3-3 through extra time.

Kylian Mbappe certainly made Messi work for a golden trophy that had eluded him throughout his storied career. France forward scored a hat trick as defending champions came back from 2-0 down and n evened match again after Messi made it 3-2 in extra time.

But this was Messi's night and Messi's World Cup.

For some, one will ever surpass Pele, who won World Cup three times with Brazil. Even in Messi’s homeland of Argentina, Diego Maradona remains, for many, country's ultimate soccer icon after captaining national team to 1986 World Cup title.

And for past 15 years or so, Messi has had a personal rivalry with Cristia Ronaldo just to establish himself as finest player of his generation.

Competition is fierce when it comes to determining greatest of all time, or GOAT, as it has come to be kwn. It can come down to smallest of margins that separate players of such brilliance.

Messi’s failure to win sport’s biggest prize has always counted against him when measuring his achievements against Pele and Maradona. same goes for Ronaldo.

Messi is a seven-time winner of Ballon d'Or award for best player in world and lifted club soccer's biggest prize, Champions League trophy, on four occasions. He ended his wait for a first major trophy with his country at last year’s Copa America.

World Cup, however, is ultimate measure of greatness, and Pele and Maradona secured immortality with inspirational performances on that st.

That had eluded Messi until Sunday.

Yes, he was part of Argentina team that lost to Germany 1-0 in 2014 final, but magic he produced game in, game out during his peak years for Barcelona never seemed to translate when wearing blue and white stripes of his country.

At 35 and nearing end of his career, tournament in Qatar was widely seen as his final shot at World Cup. And if that is case, he saved his best for last.

Messi does t dominate over 90 minutes anymore but instead decides matches with moments of genius. He scored seven goals in Qatar, but, arguably, his assists have been more memorable.

His disguised pass for Nahuel Molina’s goal against Nerlands in quarterfinals was weighed and measured to perfection. His twisting and turning run to beat Croatia defender Joško Gvardiol and set up teammate Julian Alvarez in semifinals felt like peak Messi, only in slow motion.

He has w surpassed Pele with 13 goals at World Cups and is tied for fourth with Just Fontaine on all-time list. His seven in this year's tournament surpassed Maradona’s five at 1986 edition in Mexico.

Messi has w scored a national team record of 98 goals in 172 games. That places him third in all-time scoring list for men’s internationals, behind Cristia Ronaldo (118) and Ali Daei (109).

re has been a sense of destiny for Messi and Argentina, even after its shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in team's opening game of World Cup.

Messi had to summon every bit of energy in his aging limbs to get Argentina through final and hold off Mbappe. Leading 2-0 and cruising to title as game approached last 10 minutes, Mbappe intervened to remind everyone that he has already overtaken Messi and Ronaldo as best player in world right w.

He scored in 80th and 81st minutes to turn game upside down.

When Messi put Argentina back in front in 108th minute, he looked to have scored winner. But Mbappe's penalty in 118th saw Paris Saint-Germain star complete first hat trick in a World Cup final in 56 years.

In penalty shootout, Gonzalo Montiel scored decisive kick to secure Messi's place among panon of greats and, perhaps, confirm his position as true GOAT.