ace Lionel Messi prepare to lead Argentina into another FIFA World Cup final, former India coach and current Rwanda national team manager Stephen Constantine made a bold assessment of the Argentine superstar, insisting that while Messi is among football’s greatest, he is not “the best” in history.Speaking to PTI from Rwanda ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster final against Spain, the Englishman rated Pelé, Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho over the 39-year-old, arguing that Argentina’s tactical setup allows Messi to conserve energy and maximize his offensive influence.Messi enjoyed a spectacular tournament, scoring eight goals and providing four assists as defending champions Argentina reached a second straight World Cup final, including a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over England in the semi-finals.
“Messi is unstoppable with the ball”
Constantine praised Messi’s brilliance in possession but said Argentina’s collective work allowed the captain to shine.“Messi is a wonderful player, one of the greatest, but the difference is that Argentina have six or seven players who run for him and take the ball to him,” Constantine said.“When he has the ball, he is almost unstoppable. But without him, you are effectively playing with 10 men because others have to cover their work. Argentina do so brilliantly. So, yes, no, no, for me, he is not the best. He is one of the best, but he is not. I will not say that he is the best,” he added.The comments come ahead of what is expected to be Messi’s final World Cup appearance, with the Argentine icon chasing a fourth world title for his country.
Constantine supports Spain to lift the trophy
Despite acknowledging Argentina’s experience and Messi’s ability to decide games on his own, Constantine believes Spain’s collective style gives them a slight edge in the title clash.“Well, I think it will be close. If I was a betting man, which I am not, but if I was, I think I would put my money on Spain to beat Argentina,” he said. “But again, I think England could get past Argentina. So we’ll see. It will be a good final. These games are, I think, unpredictable.”I highlighted Spain’s work ethic across the field as the biggest difference between the finalists.“Rodri is a top player. And the difference with the Spanish match is that everyone will run. Everyone will do the work. In Argentina, Messi will not be tracked to mark the players. He will not win any header. When you have the ball, he is fantastic, possibly unbeatable. But against a Spanish team where everyone will be working the ball very, very close, I think Messi will have a very good game. I think Spain, they will win this,” he explained.