Masterful Messi wins battle of the superstars

LIONEL MESSI’S wonderful goal in Rome not only made him a European champion, but will almost certainly see him tie up the loose ends in a Champions League sub-plot by overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world.

Such is the glamour factor surrounding the little Argentine midfielder, who earns inevitable comparisons with Diego Maradona, that last night’s match was billed not only as Barcelona v Manchester United but also as Messi v Ronaldo, the battle for the right to be named the world’s greatest star.

Both finalists, of course, are filled with other big names such as Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry and opening goalscorer Samuel Eto’o, not to mention Andres Iniesta, whose overall performance placed him just above Messi as man of the match.