Mikel Arteta was quick to pick Lionel Messi when he was asked to pick his GOAT between La Pulga, Diego Maradona, and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2024. The Arsenal manager also defended his choice, claiming that Messi has always and undeniably been ahead of other renowned players.
In an interview with Sky Sports at the time, Arteta was asked, “Who is your favourite footballer to watch?” He said (via GiveMeSport):
When asked if Lionel Messi was better than CR7 and El Pelusa (Maradona), he added:
Both past and present figures in the footballing world have always generated mixed opinions when asked who football’s greatest player is. In previous decades, many had always tilted towards Maradona.
This could be due to his immense contribution to the success of his club and country. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and CR7 appeared to have changed the dynamics from mid-2005 to date.
However, ranking the trio based on Ballon d’Or achievements puts Messi above Ronaldo and Maradona. La Pulga has won eight while CR7 has racked up five Ballons d’Or. Meanwhile, Maradona never won the prestigious award despite registering a career that is worthy of emulation.
Kaka once revealed that Lionel Messi is a ‘genius and pure talent’. The former Real Madrid midfielder also picked La Pulga ahead of his former teammate Ronaldo, who he claimed is ‘really amazing’.
In a live Q&A session via FIFA’s handle on Instagram in 2020, Kaka was asked to pick between the duo. He said (via Caught Offside):
Kaka added:
In his splendid stint, Messi has registered 755 goals and 360 assists in 932 appearances in his club career. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has contributed 794 and 242 assists in 1054 club career games.
Messi is currently in Inter Miami’s ranks while CR7 is with Al-Nassr in the Middle East.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder’s ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese’s tactical mind. He feels France’s triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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