The greatest? Mibbes aye! Scotland legend Sir Kenny Dalglish on Messi, Ronaldo and the big question

He was already an all-time great and, after the World Cup, he has an even stronger claim to be the greatest of all time.

Lionel Messi has had the most glittering of careers, winning trophies, titles and medals, season after season.

At club level for Barcelona he had absolutely nothing left to prove, and will surely be hoping to add the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain this season to his triumphs.

He has shown equal brilliance at international level, culminating in the World Cup Final in Qatar where he led Argentina to such an exhilarating victory.

He now says he is going to “play on as a champion” with Argentina but few would begrudge him if he eventually decides that thrilling defeat of France after extra time and penalties should be his final game for his country.

When to hang up your boots is one of the great quandaries for any player. Is it best to go out a winner on your terms or play on and risk the decision being taken for you? There is no right or wrong. You just have to do what you feel is best for your own mind, your body and your family.

I stopped playing for Scotland towards the end of 1986 after 102 caps and 30 goals. At that time I was player-manager of Liverpool and felt it was the right moment for me to step back.

I was immensely proud to represent my country and was happy with how I had played in the famous jersey but it felt like the right time to close that chapter and create space for the next generation of strikers coming hot on my heels. It was the opposite of an easy decision but, after a lot of thinking, it was the right one and I never regretted it. All good things must come to an end. The trick is to know when.

Messi had signalled that, win or lose, this would be his last tournament leading Argentina and I’m sure he will have wrestled with the decision. He might have reconsidered while the adrenalin coursed through him after the thrilling penalty victory in the Lusail Stadium but he may reconsider again when it sinks in that he has no worlds left to conquer.

What he has achieved for his country has been sensational. In Qatar he was pivotal, a leader with the ability to turn a game in an instant. A genius.

Whatever he decides to do internationally, we’ll still be able to marvel at him at club level. He still has plenty to offer and he’ll want to win everything that’s up for grabs in the next six months with PSG. Where he ends up playing his club football next season is anyone’s guess. Will he stay put, return to Barca, or move to the United States? He won’t be short of offers.

The same goes for the other superstar departing the world stage, Cristiano Ronaldo.

He came off the pitch in tears after Portugal’s 1-0 quarter-final defeat at the hands of Morocco but, when the tears dry, he will also be looking for a new club after it all came to an abrupt and needlessly acrimonious end at Manchester United.

He is still an unbelievable player but, perhaps, has become increasingly frustrated that the almost unimaginable heights reached – like some of his headers – cannot quite be scaled now. That is totally understandable and nothing to be ashamed of.

Off the park, I don’t think the former Real Madrid star covered himself in glory in the latter part of 2022 but few could match him on the park. For almost 20 years he has been absolutely magnificent. Again, he’ll have options at club level and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.

Of course, as the careers of Messi and Ronaldo inch towards their end, the debate will continue about the greatest player of all time.

It was certainly Messi’s World Cup and, if there was any doubt before, he must now be in the stellar company of Pele and Maradona when fans argue about the best ever.

But still the argument will never go away because, ultimately, it is down to opinion, not fact, and everyone has an opinion.

My view is that we have been hugely fortunate to have enjoyed Messi and Ronaldo both providing such spectacle, skill and sheer magic at the very top level for two decades. They’ve given us all wonderful pleasure, time and time again.

Messi now, of course, has one up on Ronaldo with the fact he has walked away from Qatar as a world champion with Argentina.

That certainly makes his trophy cabinet glitter a little more than his great rival’s but, some might still argue, doesn’t necessarily make him better.

Me? I’m just glad I didn’t have to play against either of them.