After Messi became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, Alfred Draxler (73), hailed as "Germany's most influential sports journalist," published a special article in Sport Bild discussing Messi, Maradona, and Ronaldo.

Alfred Draxler's Column: Messi Has Now Surpassed Maradona and Is Greater Than Ronaldo

We salute the "King" of this World Cup!

One thing I learned from Beckenbauer is that players from different eras should not be compared. However, for someone like Messi, who at nearly 36 years old scored all five of Argentina's goals across two matches and became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with 18 goals, he must be evaluated within the context of football history.

Messi is now greater than Diego Maradona – in Argentina, Maradona is worshipped like a saint! And also greater than his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo!

Perhaps he is now even the "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time).

However, Argentinians had long not fully accepted him. Messi left his home country at age 13, moving to Barcelona with his parents and three siblings. He suffered from a growth hormone deficiency at the time, standing less than 1.40 meters tall, and his family could not afford treatment. Barcelona later helped, and a youth coach was so impressed after a trial that he signed a contract directly on a napkin. The club paid 600 euros monthly and covered the treatment costs.

Afterward, although Messi had long become a superstar, he lost four major finals – three Copa América finals and the 2014 World Cup final against Germany.

Maradona, by contrast, was a national hero for Argentina. Forty years ago, the "dancing player" scored two unforgettable goals in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England in Mexico: one was the famous "Hand of God" goal; the other was a stunning goal after dribbling past six defenders over 60 meters. He ultimately led Argentina to a 3-2 victory over Germany in the final. Four years later, he wept with the entire nation when they lost on penalties to Germany in the 1990 World Cup final.

2022: Messi Fully Emerges From Maradona's Shadow

Messi truly emerged from Maradona's shadow at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where he led Argentina to their third World Cup title, scoring 7 goals.

And when you see the reactions of fans and teammates after the match against Austria, you will feel it: Argentina and world football have a new king.

As for Ronaldo? I admit that in the long-standing debate of "who is better," I used to lean more towards Ronaldo. But now I must revise my view: Messi has convinced me that he is the greater player.

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