
<p>In 2013, during a visit with Pope Francis, legendary Italian goalkeeper <a href="https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-juventus-legend-gianluigi-buffon-compares-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gianluigi Buffon</a> touched Lionel Messi’s face and stated “I wanted to make sure he was human like us. </p>



<p>For me,&nbsp;<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/lionel-messi-says-2022-will-be-his-last-world-cup-20221007-WST-403423.html">Lionel Messi</a> is an alien that dedicates himself to playing with humans.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>High praise from one of football’s greatest goalkeepers. And yes, Lionel Messi is human but in Qatar this year he has joined a very elite duo in the history of the sport to become immortal.</p>



<h5><strong>Pel</strong><strong>é</strong><strong></strong></h5>



<p>For as long as there will be soccer, all players will be measured against Pele to assess their greatness. He lifted his first <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">World Cup </a>trophy at the age of 17 and then went on to lift it twice more in his international career. </p>



<p>At club level, Pele spent 19 seasons with Santos where he won 6 Brasileiro championships; the Copa Libertadores twice; two Intercontinental Cups; and 10 Campeonato Paulista titles – a championship where he was top scorer 11 times. </p>



<p>His subsequent move to the United States to play with the New York Cosmos added yet another dimension to the legend that was Pele. </p>



<p>There were certainly other great players that wowed the public during the 50’s &amp; 60’s. There was Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Raymond Kopa, Eusebio, Bobby Charlton, Gianni Rivera and many others. </p>



<p>But as great as these individuals were, Pele was special. Something better than “great”. A level of skill that we would not see for another 20 or so years. Until a young Argentine came unto the scene.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔝 All Time Goals &amp; Assists in FIFA World Cup History;<br><br>🥇 🇧🇷 20 Pele=12⚽️+ 8🅰️<br>🥈 🇦🇷 19 Lionel Messi=11⚽️ + 8🅰️<br>🥈 🇩🇪 19 Klose=16⚽️+3🅰️<br>🥈 🇧🇷 19 Ronaldo=15⚽️+4🅰️<br>🥈 🇩🇪 19 Gerd Muller=14⚽️+5🅰️<br>🥉 🇵🇱 17 Lato=10⚽️+7🅰️<br>🥉 🇩🇪 17 Uwe Seeler=9⚽️+8🅰️<a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a>|<a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/Messi%F0%93%83%B5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi𓃵</a>|<a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/GOAT%F0%93%83%B5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOAT𓃵</a> <a href="https:\/\/t.co/le8vIinoyb">pic.twitter.com/le8vIinoyb</a></p>— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/alimo_philip/status/1602975704437919746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h5><strong>Maradona</strong><strong></strong></h5>



<p>Diego Armando Maradona was not born yet when Pele lifted his first World Cup trophy. He was 10 years old by the time Pele lifted his third. </p>



<p>At the tender age of 16, Maradona made his senior debut for his local Argentinos Juniors in 1976 before a short stint at Argentine giants Boca Juniors where he also finished his career. </p>



<p>A career that took him from Argentina to Europe with stints at Barcelona, Napoli &amp; Sevilla. Maradona made his World Cup debut in 1982 in Spain where Argentina were eliminated in the second round. </p>



<p>But in the following World Cup in1986 in Mexico was were the comparisons to Pele were justified for Maradona. In the following World Cup in 1990, Argentina made it all the way to the Final before being beaten by West Germany. </p>



<p>Maradona, unlike Pele, had the fortune of playing on the world scene during the same time as TV coverage became global. Literally billions across the world were fortunate enough to see the magic Maradona created on the field. </p>



<p>Like Pele, he was certainly compared to many others that graced the soccer fields across the world and could be considered “greats” of their time. Names like Michel Platini, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten &amp; Lother Matheus come to mind. </p>



<p>But yet again like Pele, there was “something” that lifted Maradona above all the others. A level of skill that made all that it was compared to look “ordinary”. It would take another 20 years before we were graced with another “fenomeno”.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What an unbelievable game! <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/Argentina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Argentina</a> you are the <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> champions. <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a> vs <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/Mbappe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mbappe</a> was the highlight. Messi is undisputed GOAT of his generation. Like Pele, Maradona before him ♥️ <a href="https:\/\/t.co/GRqOSXcQHD">pic.twitter.com/GRqOSXcQHD</a></p>— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/RaviShastriOfc/status/1604538419870199808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h5><strong>Messi</strong><strong></strong></h5>



<p>It’s 2022 and we finally have a “holy trinity”. Just like Maradona was not born yet when his predecessor lifted his first World Cup trophy, Leo Messi was not born yet when Maradona lifted his World Cup trophy. </p>



<p>We are all well aware of Messi’s club level achievements. For Barcelona, where he debuted at the senior level at the age of 16 (like Maradona), he had 520 appearances in which he scored 474 goals. </p>



<p>He lifted 10 La Liga trophies; 4 UEFA Champions League titles; 3 UEFA Super Cup as well as 3 Club World Cup titles. Incredible numbers but in the cruel world that could be soccer, none of it would matter without the World Cup trophy. </p>



<p>It is a crowning achievement for any player but to be even considered with the likes of Pele and Maradona, it was necessary for Messi to go all the way in Qatar. </p>



<p>Much later in his playing career compared to Pele or Maradona, Messi has finally put aside any doubts the public may have had of his greatness. Messi’s name deserves to be spoken about in the same breathe with Pele and Maradona.</p>



<h5><strong>The Future</strong><strong></strong></h5>



<p>If history teaches us anything, it’s that it tends to repeat itself. History tells us that in the next few months/years, a child will be born that will be talked about in the same breathe as Pele, Maradona &amp; Messi.</p>



<p>History tells us that the child will likely be born in South America. But that, of course, is not a certainty. It could be born in Africa, Asia, Europe and even North America. </p>



<p>That child may already have been born and even already be kicking a soccer ball somewhere on the globe. I hope so. It’s hard to wait 20 or so years to be so blessed as to witness greatness on a soccer field. </p>



<p>In the meantime, there are certainly plenty of players that will entertain us as well as open debates on do they deserve to join the holy trinity. </p>



<p>Most importantly, knowing how rare such “alien” talent, as Gianluca Buffon puts it, is bestowed upon us, let’s appreciate the moment and be grateful that we were here to witness something beyond “great”. </p>



<p>Something that makes those who are great seem like mere mortals.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / Bildbyran</p>



<div style="background:#f9e4ea;padding:10px;">
<h3>Guide to World Cup 2022</h3>
<div style="padding:10px;">
Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in soccer!
</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/"><strong>TV Schedule:</strong></a> All the info on <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/">where and when to watch</a> every game
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/04/analysis-of-world-cup-groups/"><strong>The Groups:</strong></a> We <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/04/analysis-of-world-cup-groups/">breakdown each group</a> and all the teams
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-jerseys-for-qatar-2022/"><strong>The Kits:</strong></a> Check out <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-jerseys-for-qatar-2022/">what every team will be wearing</a> on the field this fall
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/predictor/"><strong>Predictor:</strong></a> Play out every scenario with our <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/predictor/">World Cup Predictor</a>
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/05/world-cup-bracket-free-download/"><strong>World Cup Bracket:</strong></a> Map out the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/05/world-cup-bracket-free-download/">entire tournament</a>, from the groups to the final
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/"><strong>World Cup Hub:</strong></a> Your one stop for <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">everything Qatar 2022</a>
</div>
</div>


Winning the World Cup puts Lionel Messi in the same league as Pele and Maradona as an immortal of the game.

Messi joins Pelé and Maradona as immortals - World Soccer Talk

Messi joins Pelé and Maradona as immortals

destacadas


<p><em>World Soccer Talk writer Lawrence Dockery, himself a referee, shares his insight regarding the officiating from the World Cup group stage</em> <em>of Qatar 2022.</em></p>



<p>Many don’t realize but one of the most important parts of any soccer game is the referee.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Without officials, there is no game.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Being selected to referee at the World Cup is a huge honor. And so far at the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">2022 World Cup </a>in Qatar, the refereeing has been splendid.</p>



<p>There, of course, have been contentious moments, as there are at every tournament.&nbsp; But thus far the referees have handled themselves with aplomb.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Here are some of the key refereeing moments during the World Cup thus far.&nbsp;</p>



<h5>Red Cards</h5>



<p>Incredibly there were only been three red cards through the group stage at the World Cup.&nbsp; </p>



<p>It took until the sixth day of the tournament for somebody to be sent off.&nbsp; The unlucky first was Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey against Iran.&nbsp; He was initially only cautioned and shown a yellow card for a foul on an Iranian attacker.  </p>



<p>But after a VAR check, he was sent off and shown a red card for ‘Serious Foul Play’.&nbsp; It was the correct decision by the referee as Hennessey drove his knee into the jaw of the Iranian player.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First Red Card! Wayne Hennessy becomes the first player to get a red card at this years tournament having been sent off in the 86 minute of the first game of Matchday 2. <a href="https:\/\/t.co/0ObSHDoDb6">pic.twitter.com/0ObSHDoDb6</a></p>— REFSIX (@refsix) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/refsix/status/1596121607856164864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>The second red card of the tournament was an unusual one.&nbsp; South Korea manager Paulo Bento was dismissed and shown a red card for after the final whistle of the Taegeuk Warriors 3-2 loss to Ghana.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Bento appeared to be upset that referee Anthony Taylor ended the game before the South Koreans could take a corner kick and ran onto the field to berate him for it.&nbsp; </p>



<p>But the full amount of added time had been played and Taylor wasn’t having it with the abuse form Bento.  He made the correct decision by showing Bento the red card.</p>



<p>The final red card of the group stage was during the final game of the group stage.  Vincent Aboukabar was already on a yellow card when he scored the winning goal for Cameroon in stoppage time against Brazil.  </p>



<p>And as soccer players are prone to doing when they score goals, he took his shirt off to celebrate.  Unfortunately doing so is an automatic yellow card.  The referee was left with no choice but to show him a second yellow card and send him off.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The referee dapped up Vincent Aboubakar after sending him off 😅<br><br>He had no choice. <a href="https:\/\/t.co/GyA9PqGTIU">pic.twitter.com/GyA9PqGTIU</a></p>— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1598794142804582435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h5>Female referees</h5>



<p>History was made at this World Cup as female referees were selected to referee at the World Cup for the first time ever.&nbsp; </p>



<p>That history was furthered when an all-female referee crew was assigned to the pivotal final Group E game between Costa Rica and Germany.&nbsp; </p>



<p>Stephanie Frappart of France had the whistle, while Neuza Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico were on the lines and all three performed very well.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today, history is made as an all-female refereeing trio taking charge for the first time at a men&apos;s <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> <br><br>Referee Stéphanie Frappart will be joined by assistants Neuza Back and Karen Diaz. 👏</p>— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/1598387706001620993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h5>American referees</h5>



<p>At the last two World Cups, American referee Mark Geiger was outstanding in taking charge of three games at each of those tournaments.&nbsp; </p>



<p>For the 2022 World Cup, it was Ismail Elfath who earned the nod from the American refereeing ranks.&nbsp; Elfath had the whistle for the Group H opener between Portugal and Ghana while his Assistant Referees were Kyle Atkins and Corey Parker, also both Americans.&nbsp; </p>



<p>A slight measure of controversy arose when Elfath awarded Portugal a penalty in 65<sup>th</sup> minute but it was the correct decision and the rest of the game went off without a hitch.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Elfath and his crew were then tasked with taking charge of the final game in Group G between Brazil and Cameroon.  </p>



<p>The game went almost without incident as Brazil had already locked up their spot in the Round of 16 after their second game.  </p>



<p>But then the aforementioned Vincent Aboukabar scored and took his shirt off.  Elfath clearly felt bad about having to send him off for a second yellow card but his hands were tied.</p>



<p>Also present at the World Cup from the US is another female referee.&nbsp; Kathryn Nesbitt was sent as an Assistant Referee and was the Offside VAR official for the game between Costa Rica and Germany.&nbsp;</p>



<h5>Thoughts on FOX’s referee analysts</h5>



<p>As much of their coverage of this World Cup has <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/tv/foxs-world-cup-coverage-illustrates-how-not-to-televise-soccer-20221126-WST-409921.html">proven to be subpar</a>, it should come as no surprise that Fox’s coverage of the refereeing at the World Cup has also left much to be desired.&nbsp; </p>



<p>First is their insistence on continuing to use Joe Machnik as their rules expert.&nbsp; Not only is Machnik held in very low regard in the referee community due to his lack of knowledge of the Laws of the Game, he just doesn’t add anything to the broadcast.&nbsp; </p>



<p>He usually just repeats the question the commentators ask him rather than shedding any light on the referee’s decision or thought process.</p>



<p>Mark Clattenburg, however, has been a wonderful addition as the secondary rules expert.&nbsp; Clattenburg’s qualifications are impressive.  </p>



<p>He was selected to referee at Euro 2012 and the 2012 Olympics in London.&nbsp; He also had a very impressive 2016 as he was selected to referee the FA Cup Final, the Champions League Final, and the Euro 2016 Final all in the space of two months.&nbsp;</p>



<p>So far during this tournament he has done a wonderful job of explaining what the referee is looking for when making certain calls.&nbsp; And he has also done a very good job of explaining what FIFA expects of the referees in these games.&nbsp;</p>



<p>One notable omission from FOX’s group of referee experts is Christina Unkel.&nbsp; At the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, Unkel received rave reviews as FOX’s rules analyst but has been left off their roster for Qatar.  </p>



<p>Unkel was also the first to point out something that had gone unnoticed by many viewers.&nbsp; FOX Sports <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ChristinaUnkel/status/1596218804903841792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1596218804903841792%7Ctwgr%5E199f526400d23193979db7187beb9daf1fcad9ed%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fworldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D410746action%3Dedit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">doesn’t show the referee crew or coin toss before games</a>. </p>



<p>Instead, FOX opts to cram in an extra minute or two of commercials, thus robbing the referees of the small measure of recognition they receive before games kick off.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Many viewers have also noticed that FOX Sports’ commentary duo of John Strong and Stuart Holden have been particularly vociferous in their criticism of referees, especially during US games.</p>



<p>Their <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/tv/foxs-world-cup-coverage-illustrates-how-not-to-televise-soccer-20221126-WST-409921.html">call during the US-Wales game</a> takes the cake.  Every time a US player got fouled, they ripped into the referee for not showing a yellow card.  </p>



<p>Every time a US player was cautioned and shown a yellow card, they flipped the script and began wondering how it was even a foul, let alone a yellow card.  </p>



<p><em>Photo credit: IMAGO / Sven Simon</em></p>



<div style="background:#f9e4ea;padding:10px;">
<h3>Guide to World Cup 2022</h3>
<div style="padding:10px;">
Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in soccer!
</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/"><strong>TV Schedule:</strong></a> All the info on <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/">where and when to watch</a> every game
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/04/analysis-of-world-cup-groups/"><strong>The Groups:</strong></a> We <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/04/analysis-of-world-cup-groups/">breakdown each group</a> and all the teams
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-jerseys-for-qatar-2022/"><strong>The Kits:</strong></a> Check out <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-jerseys-for-qatar-2022/">what every team will be wearing</a> on the field this fall
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/predictor/"><strong>Predictor:</strong></a> Play out every scenario with our <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/predictor/">World Cup Predictor</a>
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/05/world-cup-bracket-free-download/"><strong>World Cup Bracket:</strong></a> Map out the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/05/world-cup-bracket-free-download/">entire tournament</a>, from the groups to the final
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/"><strong>World Cup Hub:</strong></a> Your one stop for <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">everything Qatar 2022</a>
</div>
</div>


A brief look at some of the decisions made by the referees at the World Cup, as well as some refereeing history being made.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "World Cup Opinons"

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Messi joins Pelé and Maradona as immortals

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