Lionel Messi named his 'best' player in football history – not Cristiano Ronaldo
da poker： Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time, but the Barcelona and Argentina legend named another South American superstar as the best ever.
Some of the best quotes on Lionel Messi
da betcris： Since making his Barca debut back in 2004 at the age of 17, Messi has dominated world football and has dazzled with the ball at his feet.
Regarded as Barcelona’s best ever player and the greatest footballer of all time by many, Messi made just under 800 senior appearances at the Nou Camp, winning every honour possible.
Lionel Messi’s Barcelona honours
Years won
Champions League
2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
La Liga
2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
Copa del Rey
2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021
FIFA Club World Cup
2010, 2012, 2016
UEFA Super Cup
2009, 2011, 2015
Spanish Super Cup
2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
His individual brilliance is highlighted by lifting eight Ballon d’Or’s between 2009 and 2023, and as to be expected, there are plenty of quotes praising Messi down the years.
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Messi called Ronaldo Nazário the “best” he’s seen
Messi was asked by TyC Sports back in 2020 who he thought was his top rival for ‘Greatest of all Time’ status, and instead of naming long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the Argentine selected Brazilian striker Ronaldo as his greatest.
Before the days of Messi and Cristiano, the former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid striker was one of the most recognisable names in football.
Powerful, extremely quick, incredible control and a clinical finisher, Ronaldo had every attribute a forward would want and every defender dreads.
A two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo was also called “as good as Pele” by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whereas another iconic striker, Thierry Henry, said the Brazilian “reinvented the centre-forward position”.
If it wasn’t for a number of serious injuries, Ronaldo could have been spoken about in the same bracket of Messi and Cristiano, but even still he certainly left his mark on the former.