From Messi to Mbappe: The joy of the GOAT debate

Lionel Messi's hat-trick reignites the GOAT debate, celebrating greatness in football and the joys of comparing legends across eras.

New Delhi: It was that kind of day; the kind when you start thinking of the greats. Of Garrincha, Ferenc Puskas, Pele, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Diego Maradona, Marco Van Basten, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo (the OG), Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The list isn’t exhaustive. It isn’t even close. But as the Argentina vs Algeria game ended on Wednesday, it was hard not to fall into a dream state.

France's forward Kylian Mbappe. (AFP)

The trigger, of course, was Lionel Messi’s hat-trick. He’s

Argentina's forward Lionel Messi. (AFP)

The others of this era perhaps are a bit more modest. But the fans aren’t. The Messi vs Ronaldo debate has almost raged for two decades and even now, there’s no clear answer in the minds of many. Now, Mbappe is staking a claim of his own. That is what makes it fun. That is what makes it a joy.

But what should the GOAT debate truly be about? Can you compare athletes at their peak? Do you look at longevity? Is it skill? Is it power? Is it charisma? Is it a combination? Is it when and at what point of their careers we watched them?

Comparing players across eras is risky business and statisticians have tried to devise ways to bridge the gap. But it never works that way. Greatness should be appreciated regardless of the era for it doesn’t last forever. Careers are short, ask van Basten and he’ll tell you that. An ankle injury saw him play his final professional match at the age of 28. He had it all — the pace, the vision, the intelligence, he could shoot with right and left — but sport can be cruel.

The GOAT debate is nothing more than an appreciation of the privilege of watching them at their finest and the joy that act gave us. We fight for our era; for our star but through it, we bring other greats alive and that is what makes it important. So much is being forgotten in this age of information overload where we are connected but stuck in our own silos.

It is storytelling in its own way and the winner doesn’t matter. The old-timers with their eyes twinkling bring out the legends laced with nostalgia and hyperbole. The pre-internet Millennials talk about genius that shone through their community TV screens. While the internet generation will find a highlight reel to make their point.

Greatness was on display, we watched it and shining a light on that moment is a joy. This gets fans to dig deep; to fight for their heroes and that, in its own way, makes sport special. So, long live the GOAT debate and may this World Cup allow us to enter a few more players into the fray.