World cup is a different beast from the Champions league. The CL takes place over a much longer period of time and teams can better recover physically and emotionally. The world cup is a tour the force that Messi was never able to dominate and win. Messi is technically superior, no doubt, but was never able to consistently shine under psychological pressure. Delivering under pressure is what the likes of Maradona and CR7 have been able to do and that's what makes many soccer lovers call them the "best".