@masukuma...should it be?or thats the way it should be...

Soccer is a team sport, i don't expect Messi to win a world cup single-handedly. I never got to see Pele, some snippets of Maradona, but i would not take it from Messi just coz he hasn't won a world cup or clocked 1k of goals. He's phenomenal.

i think we are missing the point here...all the above are/were phenomenal players, Wizards, Geniuses.
In primary school and high school we used to have a certain wizard with the ball called Ephantus Kariuki Gitiba that guy was one with the ball. but our school was maembe in football and his sole effort could not move us so...he was never discovered. was he phenomenal? yeah, was he a great player - yes. was he the best player in the world...we cannot say - he never had the opportunity to prove himself elsewhere.
In order for you to qualify as a great player, you cannot be like Ephantus Kariuki Gitiba...personally very good but with a team that cannot assist you. Messi is the same with Ephantus, his national side is not helping him and he may never win 3 worldcups (ultimate achievement), he may never come close to 1k goals but he is the best of our time...he is the best NOW! we have to wait until he retires before making any ruling but as things stand - he is number 3. Will he like Pele become a legend and be remembered 34 years after his last match? having his name showing up in polls in obscure african forums? Let's wait and see!

you are right - one has to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. we must admit that there are many medals to be won these days however the true test of greatness is not done during the time when you are playing and others have retired but after. when all these guys have retire and way after the scene is take over by some other person - do you think the name Messi will be in the minds and hearts of individuals if he does not win the world cup and win it in a stunning manner? the truth is , we are blinded by how good he is - one week after he scored 5 goals in UEFA (a feat). but in 20 years will we say - do you remember Messi? He scored 5 goals in some nondescript match with some funny team in the UEFA champions league in 2012? The question is WILL MESSI BECOME A LEGEND WITHOUT THE WORLD CUP even to his people the Argentines? George best is remembered to this day as a legend by the English. Alan Shearer with his 422 goals...not as huge a legend as Best with his 205 goals ....why...BECAUSE WORLDCUPS MATTER!! Winning one for your country is the highest achievement a soccer player can get.
p.s. you cannot be a legend during your own time...you become a legend later! you are phenomenal at the time you are playing.

@ Masukuma.....Players such as Ronaldo (Brazil) & Muller had very good records for both Club and country...but they are not regarded as Legends, can you remember who scored for Italy in 2006 final? Nowadays CL football dictates how successful you are as a football player. That is why Messi won 2010 Player of the year despite his National Team's poor performance at the WC. He is not just a goal scoring machine but a football genius as well. Rarely is the ball allowed to leave his incredible sphere of influence....its as if its glued to his foot. Teams and managers go out of their way to neutralise the prodigy.

We are already comparing him to football greats at a very young age, we can only imagine what he's yet to achieve.