For me Messi is just looking more like the National team version of Lionel Messi playing for Argentina than the one that played for Barcelona.
It's why some of us always questioned Messi's ability to play outside La Liga or Barcelona - it's because :
A) he didn't do it
B) La Liga sticks to a type of football that always played against Barcelona (compared to City's & Arsenal's possesion football, the counterattack & never give up philosophy of United, Chelsea chaging their ethos per every 2 year manager from Jose parking the bus to managers like conte and Tuchel, the gegen pressing of Klopp or the tactics of Rodgers or Benitez or one of the most famous tactical teams of the PL - Stoke City, a type of football that required you to play a different way when playing against such teams that you could argue includes teams like Bolton or Sam allardyce teams.
C) Playing most of your life WITH Barcelona football team. No one can argue that Messi was their best ever player - but ultimately for the most of us, Messi was not required to play Possesion Football to the level Pep got Barcelona playing at. This was primarily shown by Spain National Team winning World Cups and euro's playing possesion football that was 99% similar to how Barcelona played in La Liga or the CL. Spain National team could do it WITHOUT Messi because they had the building blocks of the Pep possesion team (Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, Pique, Valdes, Alba, Pedro, David Villa and so many more). Messi was not required to play Possesion football - he was the cherry on top of the cake that made the goalscoring aspect of Barcelona go up another level. We saw this again with Spain National team- the team was playing almost 99% to Barcelona FC; but what did Spain lack? The ability of a forward like Messi to finish those chances or even create another level of chances in the front line for the best group possesion based players ever. Messi was great, but him and his technique made Barcelona almost impossible to beat - rather than exactly being the player that built Barcelona's playstyle which had been seen at Spanish National team and even seen in shorter levels under other managers of Barcelona after Pep left Barcelona. Messi loved playing within the style of Football that is seen in Barcelona - because he always seemed liked the Cherry on top of the cake of possesion football.
D) No one is saying that Messi is not a great of the sport that shouldnt be talked about on GOAT levels - but ultimately to some people there was a difference with the Messi we saw playing for Argentina than the Messi playing for Spain National team.. I mean Barcelona. If he could play like he did for Barcelona for any other team in the world - he would be called the greatest. He hasn't done it at PSG, he was great for Argentina but a level below Barcelona levels which was then blamed on the rest of the Argentina team not being good enough.
Vs Ronaldo
1) Then you look at the consistency of C Ronaldo. Put him in any club and in any League and he would perform the the same exact level he always did. Be it for the Portuguese league with sporting, United at EPL, Real Madrid at La Liga, Juventus at Serie A or the Portugal national team when playing International football. His superman jumps, his headers, his shooting, his free kicks, his dribbling, his long shots or his predatory close range finishes.
2) It was not even the clubs he played for- what tactics were he playing with? SAF'S tactics, Mourinho's tactics, Zidane's tactics, Benitez, Ancelotti, Pirlo, Allegri, Sarri, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Carrick, the Portugal National team - I can't even describe the differences between these managers - some extremely attacking, some extremely defensive, some no tactics at all and some just pure shite like Pirlo or Ole - but Ronaldo can just perform and perform with consistency
3) The teams he played against - whilst playing FOR teams with such a variety of tactics, he performed against the variety of tactics seen by the clubs of the PL, the tactical aspects of La Liga, Serie A, Portuguese league and the National team - all without playing all his life mostly in a possesion based team, it was always playing with different tactics playing VS different tactics.
4) Ronaldo is now older and is doing it in a harder league than League 1. Ronaldo can do it with anyone, at any time, at any league, under any manager be it great, average or poor management against any team that played any and all different types of tactics against him. Just a level of consistency that he wanted to keep and wanted to prove that he was the GOAT and to many of us he succeeded.