Five players who believed they would have been as good as Messi or Ronaldo

Lionel Messi settled the age-old 'GOAT' debate that's raged between him and Cristiano Ronaldo when he lifted the World Cup with Argentina on Sunday.

Fans were split over who the best ever was between the pair, but Messi's World Cup win settled the debate once and for all in the eyes of supporters. The 35-year hit the net twice in open play in Argentina's 3-3 draw in normal time against France, and hit the net once again with an audacious spot-kick when his side won the subsequent penalty shootout.

And while Messi, who became Argentina's all-time top scorer in the tournament, and now holds the record for most World Cup appearances, inspired his nation to glory, Ronaldo's on the hunt for a new club following Portugal's quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco.

But although Messi's pipped Ronaldo for the undisputed GOAT title, his heroics also put the claims from a slew of other pretenders to bed. Over the years, players who never reached the pinnacle of the game, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Hatem Ben Arfa, Antonio Cassano, Wesley Sneijder, have insisted they were as good - or better - than Messi and Ronaldo.

Even Mo Salah threw himself into the debate. And here, the Daily Star delves deeper into the bold declarations of the aforementioned stars.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic reckons he's better than Messi and Ronaldo when it comes to technical ability.

The 41-year-old concedes that the pair have more accolades than him, but insists they don't come close if talking about quality. He once said, via Football Italia: “If we are talking about intrinsic quality, then they have nothing more than me. If we consider trophies, then yes, I didn't win the Champions League.

“I don't know what criteria they use to decide who gets the award, because I am not obsessed with it. When a collective works, the individual inevitably benefits from that. An individual cannot do well if the team isn't solid.

“Deep down, I do think that I am the best in the world.” Not even Messi and Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or wins have convinced Ibrahimovic that the duo are better than him.

He said when speaking of the prestigious prize: "I don't need the Ballon d'Or to know that I'm the best." In Ibrahimovic's defence, he's still playing at the top level in his 40's for AC Milan, which is a feat both Messi and Ronaldo aspire to achieve.

Hatem Ben Arfa

Former Newcastle star Hatem Ben Arfa is another player who believes he could've reached the same dizzying heights Messi has hit in his career - if he had matured earlier in his career.

Arfa was involved in a slew of bust-ups early on in his career, including one with former Liverpool star Djibril Cisse when they were at Marseille, And the 35-year-old reckons it was incidents like this that prevented him from being in the conversation with Messi.

Speaking to Le 10 Sport, the French ace rued: "I regret not being mature earlier because I think today I'd have evolved to a higher level. Maybe I'd be like Lionel Messi today. But I still have time, I can catch up."

But it wasn't to be and Arfa could only muster 75 goals and 64 assists in 428 career matches thus far. And Arfa's ugly temper reared its head once again this year when he was suspended by Lille after being involved in a heated row with boss Jocelyn Gourvennec.

Wesley Sneijder

Inter Milan icon Wesley Sneijder is adamant he could've been up there with Messi and Ronaldo - but he didn't feel like it.

He insists the only thing separating him from Messi and Ronaldo is the sacrifices they made to get to the top that he wasn't prepared to make. The pair made a number of sacrifices to attain their god-like status in the game, whereas Sneijder preferred a glass of wine.

The Dutch veteran reflected to football reporter Gianluca di Marzio: "I could have become like Messi or Ronaldo. I simply didn't feel like it.

"I enjoyed my life, maybe I had a glass [of wine] at dinner. Leo and Cristiano are different, they have made many sacrifices."

But despite never reaching the heights Messi and Ronaldo got to, Sneijder has no regrets over how his career turned out. He mused: "And that's fine with me, my career, however, was still amazing."

Antonio Cassano

Antonio Cassano reckons his football abilities could have propelled him to another planet - and put him on the same plateau as Messi along with other stars such as Neymar.

But just like Arfa, Cassano blames his attitude for holding him back. He said via Reddit: "If I'd had another head on my shoulders, I could've been playing on Mars.

"I'd be like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and a few others." Cassano's bad attitude was coined "cassata" by his former coach, Fabio Capello, after they clashed in 2002. The term that has become embedded in Italian sports culture since, is used to describe "any behavior incompatible with team spirit."

Mo Salah

Liverpool forward Mo Salah boldly claimed he was the world's best player in his position earlier this year.

And although he didn't mention Messi or Ronaldo by name, he appeared to be alluding to the pair as he plays on the wing like both players have at times during their careers. Members of the media felt the same and Salah was awarded the best footballer of the year by the Football Journalists Association (FWA) in May.

Upon picking up the award, Salah declared: "If you compare me to any player in my position, not only in my team but in the whole world, you will see that I am the best."

And in reference to his poor spell at Chelsea, he added: "Before 2018 some people said that I couldn't do anything after leaving Chelsea, but I went ahead and did great things. I think that in a certain way it was positive and I try to be in line”

But after witnessing Messi weave his magic in Qatar, even Salah must be having second thoughts about his statement. The 30-year-old was unable to lead his country Egypt into the World Cup, and they were eclipsed by Morocco who became the first African team to reach the tournament's semi-final.