Despite playing alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona, football star Ronaldinho of Brazil said that it was “tough” for him to declare Messi the undisputed GOAT of football.
During his illustrious playing career with Barcelona, Messi won a staggering 35 trophies at the Camp Nou, including 10 La Liga and four Champions Leagues.
During his tenure in Paris, the Barcelona legend proceeded to add trophies, with Messi winning the Ligue 1 championship in his debut year with Paris Saint-Germain.
After Argentina’s victory over South American foe Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final, Messi also broke his protracted trophyless streak on the international stage.
The PSG player won his most recent France Football award back in 2021 and holds the all-time Ballon d’Or record, two wins ahead of fierce rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
When Messi first gained notoriety at Barcelona, Ronaldinho was present at Camp Nou and shared the field with the Argentina captain until his departure in 2008.
Even if they were buddies at Barcelona, the 2002 World Cup champion emphasized that he doesn’t like to compare Messi to other historical figures.
After Messi’s sixth Ballon d’Or victory, Ronaldinho told the Spanish newspaper Marca: “I’m delighted Messi won the Ballon d’Or. While we were playing in Barcelona, we were also pals.
But I don’t like to make comparisons, so it’s hard for me to declare him the greatest of all time.
Ronaldinho, who announced his retirement from the game in 2018, claimed that PSG forward Messi was the “greatest of his era,” surpassing Portugal’s Ronaldo.
The former AC Milan and Barcelona star does, however, think that Pele and Ronaldo of Brazil, as well as Diego Maradona, are contenders for football’s all-time great.
It’s difficult to declare that Messi is the finest player in the history of football because of Maradona, Pele, and Ronaldo, Ronaldinho continued.
“He is the best of his era,” is all I can say.
Ronaldinho arrived at Barcelona at a “poor time,” according to Messi, who has previously praised the influence of the Brazilian player during his stint at Camp Nou.
The seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or asserted that Ronaldinho, a former colleague at Barcelona, was responsible for making fans fall in love with him.
“Ronaldinho was in charge of the transformation at Barca. It was a horrible period, and the transformation brought about by his entry was incredible,” Messi stated.
“Even though he didn’t win anything the first year, people grew to adore him. When the awards began to arrive, he made all of those individuals happy.
“Barca should always be appreciative for what he done.”
