“A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork.”

The late, great basketball hall-of-famer John Wooden may not have recorded many aphorisms as accurate and profound as the above. Well, in retrospect, he may have!

Love him or hate him, one must admit that Lionel Messi, without a shadow of a doubt, has been one of the most celebrated sportsmen of this generation. His artistry, wizardry, sublime skills, and genius manipulations on a football pitch have left fans and players alike in awe of his magisterial prowess. As a result, the diminutive Argentine has drawn favourable comparisons to sporting greats such as Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, and fellow countryman Diego Maradona.

However, having failed to capture a senior international trophy with the Albiceleste, many doubts surround his legacy. Is Messi truly one of the elite, or is he just the fortunate beneficiary of a consistently dominant Barcelona unit? Has his contribution to the Blaugrana been more valuable than that of Andres Iniesta, and the recently departed Xavi Hernandez — both of whom masterminded Spain’s World Cup and European Championship success?

The debate rages on. As once quoted by the man himself, “You have to fight to reach your dreams. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” Having lost a third final in as many years, it seems Messi no longer has the fight to represent the two-time World Cup champions. The five-time Ballon d’or awardee shocked us all with his decision to quit international football in the aftermath of the 2016 Copa America Centenario Final defeat. What exactly does that say about the leadership and mental fortitude of the Argentine captain? Was it fair for a nation to place such a huge burden of expectation at his feet? Would he have opted out of international football sooner had he been in the position of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo, who admirably captained their countries with less talented teammates than Messi’s?

Sports, generally, and football specifically, can be very unforgiving. The maestro’s inability to end his nation’s 23-year title drought – compounded by his missed penalty final – has swiftly changed his status from GOAT (greatest of all time) to scapegoat. The man that was once lauded as the messiah of Argentine football has now become the proverbial lamb to the slaughter.

It may be debated that Lionel Messi was not solely responsible for any of the three Cup final defeats. Gonzalo Higuain is as much to blame as anyone for missing gilt-edged opportunities in each of those games. Is it Lionel Messi who has continuously disappointed his team, or is it the team that is responsible for Lionel’s disappointment?

Champions keep playing until they get it right. Let us hope Lionel Messi reconsiders and returns in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It may be his final opportunity to bring back the World Cup to Argentina and to salvage what has become somewhat of a tarnished legacy. As the renowned saying goes, “In the end we will only regret the chances we didn’t take.” If the mercurial number 10 stays true to his international retirement, oh how he will rue having not taken his chance in the penalty shoot-out!

sunil.b.reid@hotmail.com