Best FIFA Men’s Player award: No one can stop Messi

Messi is rejuvenated and in a second prime, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The little Argentine magician who can do no harm among fans and pundits alike despite a visible rage when things don’t go his way is the toast of football and is in firm control of being named the Best FIFA Men’s Player.

Not even the death of Pele – the real king of football – could dampen his World Cup triumph, a befitting crowning glory to over a decade of disappointment on the national stage. The humongous transfer of a ‘finished’ Cristiano Ronaldo, his relentless arch-rival, to Al Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia only cemented his status as the better player within his cult.

Messi also currently holds star power at Paris Saint-Germain where he is being begged to sign a contract extension, notwithstanding the disposition of Kylian Mbappe to the club hierarchy’s move. Despite seizing the leadership mantle at the club after a botched transfer to Real Madrid last summer, the 24-year-old French forward had his star power usurped by Messi when Argentina defeated France. This was regardless of Mbappe netting a historic hat trick in one of the best World Cup finals in living memory.

If Mbappe is failing at the task, Karim Benzema is even better placed to stop La Pulga but his absence from the World Cup to deny Messi would count against him. The 35-year-old led Real Madrid to an unfathomable UEFA Champions League (UCL) title – Real Madrid’s 14th – and led them to the Spanish La Liga title for the double as the league’s highest goalscorer. Snapping up a first Ballon D’Or means he’s in prime position to win the Best FIFA award but the Messi tax will kick in.
Let me digress to describe Messi tax: same rule for all, another for Messi.

Regardless of his antics on the pitch, a deceptively calm mien means it is overlooked while enjoying the favours that come with it. This includes penalties, insulting opposition managers and a glaring hand-of-Messi handball that went unpunished. Stick in any other player and such luck vanishes.

Back to the topic, Messi tax contributed to a brilliant World Cup display and triumph for the Argentine’s deserved individual and team success on the world stage, and this should be enough to push him over the line with the traditional World-Cup-winner-wins-best-player-award argument set to take centre stage when Messi is announced the winner.

So, who else? Luka Modric certainly won’t stop this locomotive at full speed despite being a Rolls Royce of a player. The 37-year-old further cemented his class with majestic midfield displays but the 2018 Best FIFA Player award winner fell to Messi and Argentina in the semi-final of the Mundial. Robert Lewandowski, current holder and two-time winner, will definitely relinquish his golden ball after unimpressive UCL and World Cup outings, while the Brazilian dancing duo of Neymar Jr and Vinicius Jr will only be needed for the victory procession.

While Neymar is injury-ravaged and Vinicius is still a sidekick to Benzema, Kevin de Bruyne provides masterclasses in selected games but the Manchester City midfielder’s peak is nowhere near Messi’s. The African duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are certainly not at that level after losing two major titles with Liverpool and marking absent at the World Cup. Achraf Hakimi’s exploits with Morocco are certainly not a factor to be considered while Erling Haaland’s towering presence is not hitting the heights on the global stage yet.

Jude Bellingham and Julian Alvarez are two wonderkids certainly sitting out this argument; they should keep learning from the master as Messi is expected to stroll to his second Best FIFA Men’s Player award.

So, who will stop Messi from bagging the award? Not even FIFA will.

Congratulations in advance, Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini.

Sunday Omeike, a microbiology lecturer and Newcastle United fan, writes from McPherson University, Ogun State. He can be reached via @OmeikeSunday