If there were any of them left, Lionel Messi has probably silenced his doubters once and for all atQatar2022. The only thing his haters still had to questionabout the Argentine star was his ability to win the most important trophy in the sport.
At 35, Messi delivered one of the greatest performances ever seen at a World Cup to take Argentina back to the promised land. With the highly elusive title finally in his résumé, there’s nothing leftto prove.
Messi also showed he won’t be done until he says so. Younger players may emerge, yet the PSG star remains among the world’s best despite his age. Father Time, however, is taking his toll on other things, such as his market value.
The three Argentine players worth more than Lionel Messi
Talent-wise, it’ssafe to say there’s not an Argentine player that comes close to Messi. However, his market value has naturally been on decline as he got older. Right now, Transfermarkt has Messi as the fourth most valuable player in the Argentine national team (€50 million).
While Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is listed as the most expensive player of La Albiceleste (€75 million), Tottenham center-back Cristian ‘Cuti’ Romero (€60m) and Chelsea record-signing Enzo Fernandez (€55m)complete the podium. It makes sense, since all these players are 25 years old or younger.
Either way, Messi’s true worth cannot be simply reduced to his market value. We’re talking about arguably the most admired player on Earth and one of the greatest athletes of all time. Besides, Messi proved us he still has a lot left in the tank.