Catch me if you can: Messi beats Dani Alves in the 2019 Copa América. Photo: AFP
The Argentine national team won, scored and appreciated against Italy, won the first edition of the Grand Final and started taking favorite badge in the face of a World Cup for which there is less and less to do. Messi was one of the great protagonists of the victory of the national team, he added a new title to his list, and it was one step away from a historical record.
For many, in the historic victory against Italy, Messi reached his 40th Scudetto, even if, the truth is that that of the Grand Final was Messi’s 39th Scudetto in his career, which ended up confirming him as the second most winning, only behind the Brazilian Dani Alves, who has it 42 titles. The 39-year-old winger, now at Barcelona, begins to end a career full of successes. And Messi is already starting to look at his record out of the corner of his eye.
Messi won the 40th title of his career. (EFE / Daniel Hambury)
It is that, for many, this would have been the year in which Messi would have beaten Alves’ record. With the Brazilian in a Barcelona undergoing reconstruction, and with Rosario as a figure in a PSG that aimed to fight on all fronts, everything seemed obvious for Leo to arrive in Qatar as the most successful player in history. It is worth saying that the bet was risky and reality showed otherwise. Pochettino’s team was eliminated by the unbeatable Champions League champion Real Madrid. And he was also excluded from the French Cup at the hands of a minor team like Nice.
Considering what remains to be played for this year, To what extent could Messi extend his record if he wins all he has left to play, including the World Cup in Qatar?
In principle, at the end of June Paris Saint Germain will play the French Super Cup against Nantes, the current French Cup champion, to define the first champion of the season. If he wins that match, Messi would reach 40 titles, so Qatar would be a great opportunity to be just one behind his friend Dani Alves.
Messi and Dani Alves, two former teammates who contest the record. (EFE / FERNANDO BIZERRA JR)
Why the controversy over Messi’s titles arises
When it comes to counting the championships there is always controversy, both in the case of the Argentine and the Brazilian. And it is that Messi’s 39 titles are counted by some media as 40. This happens because Rosario was part of the Barcelona squad of the 2005 Spanish Super Cup champion, despite Messi did not enter the call in neither of the two matches that made up that series. Therefore, that championship is not counted in Leo’s record.
On the Brazilian side, the debate is booming four titles that Alves got during his two stages in Brazilian football, where he won three editions of the Bahian Championship while defending the Bahia shirt and an edition of Paulista Championship when he played in Sao Paulo. Both tournaments are regional character, which is why they are often not counted as professionals. It is worth saying that statisticians give them as officers, for Dani Alves’ 42 titles are well counted.
In January next year, Alves could add another title when he plays the Spanish Super Cup. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
Even if reaching this figure will not be easy, far from it, we can highlight that thanks to the Grand Final, Messi has distanced himself on the podium of the most winners, and took three ahead of Spaniard Andrés Iniesta and Brazilian Maxwell, who followed him with 37 titles. The top ten is completed by Ryan Giggs with 36, Kenny Dalglish and Gerard Piqué with 35, Vítor Baía and Xavi Hernández with 34 and Cristiano Ronaldo with 33.
Let’s also say that if Messi wins the World Cup in Qatar with the national team, he will not care that they do not count in the Spanish Super Cup and fail to catch up with the Brazilian.
The word of Dani Alves
The debate on the most successful player had already taken place months ago, with the consecration of Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1. With that title Messi reached the threshold of 39, and Dani Alves dedicated a post to him on the networks. In it, the Brazilian uploaded a comparative image, in which he compared his 43 titles – according to his personal count – with the 39 of the Argentine.
«Of the greatest sport in the world, the greatest champion is from the countryside, from the north-east, the goat of the plague of the esteemed and the architect of his own destiny. But life always says; If you ever get over it, let me be someone better than you.. This post is not for the ego, it is just for believing in yourself. Define your destiny and fight every day until you reach the goal, “wrote Alves.
This adds a new chapter to this healthy rivalry between two friends and teammates on the pitch, who curiously are also the two players with the most titles in the vast history of football. At just 34, everything indicates that Messi will finally hold the Brazilian’s record, but the question is … Will he reach the World Cup record in Qatar?
Source: Clarin
