Lionel Messi Does Not Need Euro 2012 to Remain World's Best Player

There are many great teams and individual players that will be competing at Euro 2012, but fans should not forget about the best player in the world: Lionel Messi.

Only European teams compete in the upcoming championship, so the Argentinian will have to stay home while the rest of the world watches the great competition.

However, none of these players can top the pure skill of the 24-year-old striker.

In his short career, Messi has already won an Olympic Gold medal for his national team, and has had plenty of team and individual success with his club team, Barcelona.

This past season, he set multiple records with his ability to put the ball in the back of the net. The star scored 50 goals in his league season as part of a 73-goal year.

By comparison, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo had 60 total goals, 46 of them during La Liga.

Ronaldo and Messi are easily the top two players in the sport, but there is plenty of debate over which one is better.

Former Brazil star Pele recently stated his beliefs (per Terra Sports), saying that "Messi is without a doubt better [than Ronaldo]."

Conversely, current Brazil player Marcelo also called the Argentinian the "best player in the world," but then apparently changed his stance (per Bettor.com) in favor of Ronaldo, claiming he was misquoted.

The debate will go on, but Ronaldo will have the advantage this spring of competing for Portugal in the highly anticipated European Championship. If he takes his team far in the tournament, the eventual praise will be limitless.

However, you cannot fault someone for losing a contest with no invitation to compete. There is little Messi can do over the next few weeks to convince people he is anything but the best.

Argentina will compete this weekend in an international friendly against South American rival Brazil in what will be one of the most fascinating exhibitions of the year. While there are more important contests to watch, this might be the only chance to see these great players for some time.

That match will feature the No. 1 player in the world, something the Euro 2012 cannot claim.