Why does Messi needs to win a major tournament in order to be compared to Pele and Maradona?

[bdbdbd]

Neodegenerate said:

bdbdbd said:

That was the same argument used from late 1800's to early 1900's; national champions were heralded as world champions. Your description would fit better to UEFA Champions league, though nobody is calling the winner world champion, just like nobody is calling European champion a world champion. 

Not outright sure, but to indicate that it is a more prestigious title than the actual world title certainly implies it.

Well, some people value it equally or more - not because of the winner being better per se, but because of the higher bottom line. This year there's more participants (thing I totally forgot earlier) than before, which should devalue EC to an extent.