Regarding the issue with Messi since always being targeted as being helped (from Stamford Bridge, to La Liga Farmners League, to the "they let him pass", etc), or nit picking him, it's more related to the current Social Media, Forums, Internet in general period + extremely abundance of Yellow Press.
It's sthg that also happened to CR and with any current player, but majorly with these two.
There are two sides of this coin (like always are) the extreme praise and ubber praise for the current GOAts (for lack of better word, I hate it actually) and the ubber nitpicking "analysis" regarding them that GOAT in the past didn't suffer, but as long as it sells and WE as fans prolongue such behaviours will prevale.
BTW: Footbal as a sport it's still as dirty and managed as scumbags as any big human industry were Power and loads of money are involved, yet the above is clearly a Sign of the Times