By Aayan Ahmed and Sahir Bhatia
Since the 2006 World Cup, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been viewed by many as generational legends. Both have continued to perform at the highest level on the biggest international stage. Neymar's first World Cup was in 2014, when the young talent showed flashes of the great Ronaldinho (a retired Brazilian professional player) in his game, catching the eyes of many. Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar have since been regarded as the three greatest players of this generation by many people, but the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, may well signify the end of an era.
Source by Debarati Chowdhury
Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi are looked at and praised by fans from around the world.
Many students at NHP feel as though Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar’s last World Cup is an instrumental moment that will be remembered.
“I think that it’s definitely a monumental moment as these are some of the players that people consider the best in the world, and I think everyone is looking forward to the results, especially me,'' sophomore Alan Pulinthanathu said. “As for the future of soccer, I think that this is something that will be told to all generations, and it’s gonna be a story the world will know. Soccer will always remember and respect these players, and we will see it in the way players play in the future for sure.”
“It being the last World Cup for the greatest footballers of all time will truly be the end of an era for many of us who grew up watching greats like Ronaldo, Messi, Lewandowski and Neymar,” sophomore Alex Tomalski said. “I hope one of them brings home the cup because they all deserve it. A true send-off is in order for the greats who have played for nearly 20 years.”
Though these three generational talents will be retiring shortly, leaving many saddened, they have inspired a new generation of soccer players throughout the world.
“It’s very sad that the three greatest footballers of our generation Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar will play their last World Cup, and those were players we grew up watching, but there’s always a new generation coming in and great players rising. It will change the future positively because of the influence they had on new footballers coming in,” junior Abdul Mohtadi said.
“These notorious and resilient individuals will leave the beautiful game of football with an unparalleled historical legacy. However, players such as Vinicius Junior, Haaland and Mbappe will replace them in the future,” sophomore Emerson Manueles said. “There will now be a transition where we see that they have the greatest influence on contemporary football.”
Despite Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar’s individual accomplishments, many fans debate about who should be seen as the greatest player of all time. After Argentina’s win and a World Cup now under his belt, many argue that Messi is most deserving of the G.O.A.T. title.