The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

The day was 18th December, a normal day for some, but a significant day for others. It’s one week to Christmas, non-football fans will tell you. As true as that is, here at the-sports-buff.com, we are only interested in sports!

Yesterday, was of course the World Cup final, which in my mind was the best in my living memory. I have been blessed to have witnessed six World Cups, but by a country mile, Qatar 2022 has been the best.

Critics will point out the 0-0 scores at half-time, but the drama and the tension mean Qatar is the best I have seen. One of the reasons for such a wonderful spectacle was due to one Lionel Andres Messi, the greatest player to have kicked a football in my lifetime.

There was a time when this was once a debate, but Messi in Sunday’s final put this argument to bed. From start, but not quite the finish Argentina’s number 10 was mesmerising.

In what was his last World Cup game, the PSG man was enjoying himself. He was instrumental in all things that were good about the new world champions.

Lionel Messi has won all the prizes the sport has to offer, from team accolades to individual, but there was one that eluded him, the Gules Rimet Trophy, the World Cup.

Messi got close in 2014, only to lose out in the final to Germany. This time, there was no stopping him, even if Argentina had to go all the way to penalties and rely on Emi Martinez and his heroics.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has gone to different leagues and excelled of course deserves to be in the conversation, but with seven Ballon D’or’s and most likely his eighth to come, Messi is out there on his own as the greatest.

I of course will structure the argument this way as Lionel was from my era. The other players Diego Maradona and Pele, who are the other players who come into the conversation, are from a different era from me.

We here at the-sports-buff.com, won’t be ungrateful to those two colossi of football players. Just sorry you two, I have never seen you live, but I have seen Lionel live.

It’s hilarious, that I thought his powers waning, he’s still box office this fella! What is also hilarious is that people think Kylian Mbappe, who became only the second man to score a World Cup hat-trick since Geoff Hirst, was in some sort of competition with Messi.

Those crazy people on the internet seemed to think that if Mbappe earned another World Cup gold, he should be crowned The GOAT. Let’s get this clear. Kylian is the GOAT in waiting, he proved when Lionel Messi retires, he can pick up the baton.

PSG’S Mbappe despite his best efforts wasn’t able to win this final on his own. Mbappe has some impressive achievements in his career for sure, but he doesn’t compare to a 23-year-old Lionel, calm down.

Some doubted him, wrote him off. His penalty record is not great, his goal scoring for PSG is below par.

Even as gifted of a player Messi is, he worked on these and has since improved on penalties too. Under Christoph Galtier, Messi looks like well Messi again!

his man just doesn’t seem to have any obvious weakness.

International football will miss you, Lionel Andres Messi. You have won all there is to win, and for me, this is why you’re The GOAT. Rightfully your name should be alongside Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and Rodger Federer.

The little Argentine has put his name in the sporting history books as if it wasn’t full of his name and his achievements already.

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