Joe Cole insists World Cup winner Messi is above Ronaldo and Maradona

Joe Cole has claimed that Lionel Messi's World Cup success with Argentina has ended the debate about him being the best player of his generation.

Messi has frequently been compared with Cristiano Ronaldo throughout his career but the Argentina star achieved a feat that his rival hasn't by securing World Cup glory.

Cole believes that Messi also ranks above his compatriot Diego Maradona and stated that only Pele has a case against the Paris Saint-Germain star in terms of determining who is the greatest player of all time.

Speaking on BT Sport, Cole said: 'There's always a debate. What he has put to bed is the debate about this generation because he's won it all.

'Earlier on in the tournament he was struggling and there were question marks. But he carried them. I've never seen a player like him - I think he's the greatest player of all time, only Pele has a case against him. I think he stands next to him - not Ronaldo or Maradona, above them.'

Joleon Lescott claimed that Argentina wouldn't have been able to progress past the group stages without Messi.

He said: 'I think the era has to be considered. Going back to Messi - I don't think Argentina get passed the group stage without Messi. You're wondering whether he's still got the magic, which he showed. He was selective in the moments, but he was decisive.'

Owen Hargreaves described Messi as being 'one of a kind' and added that the 35-year-old's longevity sets him apart.

Hargreaves said: 'He is one of a kind, a true football genius. This is a young Messi, the dribbling and speed is unmatched. Maradona the only comparison. The one thing that sets him apart is his intelligence - he sees the game a second quicker.

'This longevity sets him apart. He is now playing as a playmaker. He is the perfect football player.'

Cole also commented on the way in which Messi bursts into life during games.

He said: 'I was watching him at the world cup with some greats of the game and they were saying, 'oh he can't do this, he can't do this'. Like a boxer, where they're sizing up the opponent, he's strolling around in the first 20 minutes, looking for weaknesses.

'He's just like, "I'm just going to grab a minute here". He has a look at the opposition, then bursts into life. He used to have those moments all the time, he can't do that anymore, but he's incredible.'