From Pele’s title glory to Zidane Zidane’s headbutt – how will Lionel Messi’s World Cup finale compare

After his crowning moment in Qatar four years ago, Lionel Messi heads into this summer’s World Cup chasing a fairytale finale.

The football icon immortalised himself when he finally got his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy in 2022, settling the ‘GOAT’ debate in the eyes of many by inspiring Argentina to a stunning triumph.

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The World Cup had been the only trophy missing from Messi’s stellar collection, having come agonisingly close by losing the 2014 final.

Many believed the 2022 edition was his last shot at glory, and the Barcelona great seized his chance by firing in seven goals to play the starring role in Argentina’s first world triumph since 1986.

Now, four years on, Messi and the Albiceleste head to the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer looking to take their place among football’s all-time great international sides.

Argentina can become just the third country to win back-to-back titles in what will surely be the 38-year-old’s final World Cup.

But how will his World Cup swansong compare to some of the greats who have gone before him? talkSPORT has taken a look back…

Cristiano Ronaldo – Not over yet

From one Ronaldo to the other!

Heading into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, many fans billed this as the chance to settle the GOAT debate between Ronaldo and Messi, in what looked set to be the pair’s final appearances at the finals.

And while we are now set for one last dance from the two 21st century icons, few can forget Ronaldo’s tearful exit four years ago.

Aged 37 at the time, the Portugal great looked to have stolen ahead of Messi when he became the first man to score at five separate World Cups in his country’s opening game against Ghana.

However, he lost his place in the starting line-up following an alleged fallout with head coach Fernando Santos.

And Ronaldo broke down in tears after he failed to prevent Portugal crashing out of the competition with a 1-0 defeat by Morocco.

The result meant the former Manchester United star has failed to score in all eight of his World Cup knockout stage appearances despite having 27 shots across 570 minutes.

Ronaldo Nazario – Storybook

El Fenomeno will always be known as one of the greatest strikers to ever play football and a huge part in establishing that legacy was his heroics at the 2002 World Cup.

Ronaldo was just 17 when he was picked for the 1994 World Cup squad, but he failed to appear as Brazil won the tournament.

The former Barcelona striker was the best around four years later as he speared A Selecao to a second successive final but a seizure suffered beforehand saw France run out 3-0 winners.

Ronaldo spent the next few years plagued by injuries but somehow he returned to rewrite his World Cup story in 2002.

And he more than claimed redemption, scoring twice in the final against Germany as he won both the Golden Boot and Brazil lifted their fifth World Cup.

His final World Cup in 2006 may have come when he was past his peak, but he still had enough in the tank to get the three goals required to make him the competition’s all-time top scorer with 15 – a record that stood for eight years until Miroslav Klose in 2014.

Pele – Storybook

As a player, he spent his peak years starring for Santos, but used the World Cup every four years to show a global audience what he could do.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento announced himself as the youngest player to win a World Cup at the age of 17 in 1958, in which he scored six goals, including two in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5-2.

He was part of the A Selecao squad that defended their title four years later, but he suffered an injury early in the tournament.

Pele was then fouled so much in the 1966 edition that he claimed it was his last World Cup only to perform a dramatic U-turn in Mexico 1970.

And the legendary Brazilian made sure he signed off his tenure in iconic fashion as he won the third of his World Cup titles.

In his final World Cup outing, Pele guided Brazil to a 4-1 win over Italy in which he scored and assisted another two.

Zinedine Zidane – Horror show

The 2006 final was supposed to be the swansong of one of football’s greatest ever players and yet it became something much worse.

Zidane was the face of France’s inaugural World Cup triumph on home soil back in 1998.

The Real Madrid icon received a red card for a stamp against Saudi Arabia in the group stage, only to return to lead the hosts to glory with a brace to trounce Brazil 3-0 in the final.

A thigh tear restricted Zidane to a brief cameo four years later as Les Bleus fell at the first hurdle of their title defence by finishing bottom of their group.

Zizou had been hoping to bring the curtain down in style on his career by the time 2006 rolled around as France returned to the final.

He scored to put them 1-0 up against Italy – only to be then red carded for headbutting Marco Materazzi and watch from the sidelines as his side eventually lost on penalties.

Franz Beckenbauer – Storybook

Der Kaiser has a strong claim to be the World Cup’s greatest ever – as one of three men ever to have won it as a player and a manager.

His tournament debut in 1966 saw him finish tied third top scorer as a barnstorming midfielder but West Germany ultimately fell to England.

Beckenbauer then played in a sling after suffering a broken collarbone and a dislocated shoulder in the semi-final four years later.

That 4-3 victory for Italy has since been dubbed the ‘Game of the Century’ but Beckenbauer wasn’t finished there.

In 1974, as captain and now playing in defence, he helped shut down Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands to win a World Cup final on home soil.

And 16 years later, he only went and lifted the trophy again as West Germany’s manager, with a 1-0 win over Argentina proving to be his final match in charge.

Diego Maradona – Horror show

Messi has shouldered the burden of trying to emulate his compatriot’s greatest feats at the World Cup through his entire international career.

Yet ironically Messi’s last ever game at the tournament could be one of utter jubilation that Maradona’s never proved to be.

In 1986, Maradona was the inspirational captain who carried Argentina to glory, scoring the World Cup’s greatest goal as well as it’s most controversial in a win over England.

He was beyond his peak four years later and yet came within a whisker of helping La Albiceleste retain their crown.

In America 1994, Maradona had intended to bow out from the World Cup with one last moment of magic – a stunner in a 4-0 win over Greece.

But he was sent home from the tournament in disgrace for doping when he tested positive for ephedrine in his final international as a player.

Maradona returned to the World Cup in 2010 as Argentina manager but a humbling 4–0 defeat to Germany in the quarter-finals signalled the end.