Messi assumes the crown of world’s best as Ronaldo slides into obscurity

Even before yesterday’s Champions League final, Cristiano Ronaldo had not managed to equal his fantastic feats of the 2007/8 season. Then, he capped off a wonderful year with a stunning headed goal in Moscow to give Manchester United the lead against Chelsea. Later that night he would realise his long-standing dream of conquering Europe.

The ensuing 12 months have been less magical, more contemptuous. The highs are memorable: the best goal of his career against Porto and a scoring record that most strikers would be jealous of. But there has been a constant sense of discontentment throughout the campaign. His red card against Manchester City was utterly petulant, as were his actions after being substituted in the reverse fixture with the same side at Old Trafford. His performance in Rome was anonymous, his pride smashed by the omnipresent Lionel Messi, leading to a series of fouls against Barcelona captain Carles Puyol, landing him a well-earned yellow card.

Messi has long stood under the shadow of Ronaldo and Kaka, in part due to his minute stature but also because Barcelona have not lived up to their potential over the last three years.

But as Pep Guardiola celebrates an unprecedented hat-trick of trophies, Messi instantly must be placed alongside his senior contemporaries. And if a fair way to select a leader from the trio of candidates is via the team’s success, then Messi holds the crown for the next 12 months.

He will surely reverse the World Player of the Year standings from this year, when Ronaldo finished first and the Argentine second.

He will, too, face the pressures of such a tag. The need for the startling consistency like Ronaldo has demonstrated but Kaka has not, the obligation to star in all the big matches and to maintain performance in spite of the inevitable greater interests from opposing defenders.

How sweet for Messi that he would take the position as the world’s MVP by matching what Ronaldo did last year. But perhaps his achievement was even greater. Standing at just 5′7″ and accused of chronically under-performing against English sides, his wonderful leap high into the air and beautifully angled header into the right-hand corner to confirm Barcelona’s title was brilliant. The irrepressible Xavi provided the pinpoint cross and Messi ensured his first major career landmark. For all the mesmerising goals he has scored – the incredible effort against Getafe probably the ultimate – legacies are ensured by silverware and memorable, major moments. Messi picked up the pair yesterday evening.

The bare stats indicate Messi’s superiority. Ronaldo’s 26 goals is dismissed by Messi’s 38. The Argentine has netted 23 in 27 La Liga starts and nine in 10 Champions League matches, leaving him, like Ronaldo a year ago, as the competition’s top scorer. Add to that 16 assists (compared to the Portuguese’s eight), and it is clear why Messi is justifying the comparisons with Maradona. Kaka, meanwhile, without Champions League football this year and keeping a sadly low profile, has just 15 goals and nine assists.

The biggest test for the greatest players comes in European competition. Messi has dominated Barcelona’s progress from a trophyless, uninspired squad into a technically brilliant, flowing and trophy-laden team.

And his potential seems limitless. He has a huge age advantage over his rivals. Kaka is already 27 and about to enter the final phase at the peak of his game while Ronaldo is 24. Messi stands at the zenith with just 21 years to his name.

In spite of his stunted growth and fears that he would simply be bullied out of matches by bigger, stronger players, Messi has instead flexibly adapted to his surroundings and used his petiteness as an advantage, tearing almost every opposition defence to pieces over the last year. His wonderful dribbling abilities and predatory nature in front of goal make him, at times, completely unstoppable. Yet on Wednesday night he also ended a taboo about his heading abilities.

Apparently he is useless in the air, but perhaps Messi saves the biggest and best surprises for the big occasions, and the world is lapping up the brilliance of Little Leo.