Barcelona legend Ronaldinho once refused to call his former teammate Lionel Messi the greatest player of all time.
Lionel Messi is considered by most fans to be the best and greatest player in football history since helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup and winning all the noble titles a player can receive. Since making his national team debut two decades ago as a teenager with great potential at Barca, the diminutive Argentine has continued to carve his name into the history books of the King’s sport.
He has scored more than 800 goals for club and country, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (874). Furthermore, the 2022 world champion has also won many major titles at the club and international football levels.
Among his titles are 10 La Liga, 4 UEFA Champions League , 2 Ligue 1, 1 FIFA World Cup, 1 COPA America and a record 8 Ballon d’Or awards. However, after Messi won his second Golden Ball six in 2019, Ronaldinho did not call the Argentinian the GOAT (greatest of all time), the Brazil and Barcelona legend shared with Marca (via Sport Bible):
“I’m very happy that Messi won the Ballon d’Or. We were also friends during our time at Barcelona. But I don’t like comparisons, and I find it difficult to say he is the best of all time.”
Instead, the 2002 FIFA World Cup champion called Messi the best of his time: “There was Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo De Lima…. it’s hard to say that Messi is the best in football history. I can only say he was the best of his time.”
Ronaldinho does not consider Messi to be the greatest player in history. Photo: GETTY.
Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest players to ever play for Barcelona. Both played for the reigning La Liga champions from 2004 to 2008. In 80 matches in all competitions – when both were on the field at the same time, Ronaldinho assisted Messi 7 times and received 2 in return. assist from the junior.
Together, the duo won two La Liga titles (2004-05, 2005-06) and one UEFA Champions League title (2005/06). After Ronaldinho’s departure in 2008, Messi became the center of attention. Barca’s attackers and led the club to achieve unprecedented success in the team’s history.
