In a week when all the talk has been about royalty, Barcelona's Lionel Messi crowned himself as the king of the modern game with a sublime piece of skill against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Already one to the good thanks to the majestic Argentine, the diminutive number 10 then slalomed through the entire Madrid defence to net his 52nd goal of an incredible season and another candidate for goal of the season.
It was a stunning piece of play that has led to more than one commentator claiming he is the greatest of all time. Even those who haven't gone quite that far have elevated him into a "holy trinity" which includes Pele and his fellow Argentine, Maradona. There is no denying Messi is a phenomenon not rivalled in modern day football. The way he plays the game is a credit to his profession. However, as yet, he has failed to deliver on the international stage. Both Maradona and Pele won the World Cup — a feat many consider necessary to be considered truly great.
Of course, at 23 he is still young enough to add that glittering prize to his growing list of achievements. The problem he has faced so far internationally is that Argentina have failed to devise a system that makes the most of its unique talents.
Of course, that could have all changed by the time Argentina turn up in Brazil in 2014, and hopefully the No 10 can finally prove his worth on the world stage.
On Wednesday, after a quiet first half he exploded to life with a fantastic poacher's goal, which showed he has that great striker's knack of being in the right place at the right time. His contribution lit up an ill-tempered affair with both teams guilty of bringing the game into disrepute. The post-match fireworks fuelled by Jose Mourinho have also done little to endear the game to the purists, and one hopes the second leg will be remembered more for the football than the fisticuffs.
For that to happen then the spotlight will once again fall on the king of the Camp Nou, Messi. So here's hoping he adds another glittering performance to what is becoming a dazzling procession to true greatness.
