Footballing icon Ronaldinho gave his verdict on whether former teammate Lionel Messi is the greatest of all-time.
Football is regarded as ‘the beautiful game’ by many, but have you ever wondered which players helped the game earn that esteemed title?
One of the first players who comes to mind when talking about the brilliance of the game is undoubtedly Ronaldinho.
A god-like figure in his home country of Brazil, Ronaldinho’s flair and skill earned him millions of fans across the globe during his illustrious career.
Having plied his trade for the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan, it was in Catalonia the Brazilian shone brightest.
During his five-year stint at the Nou Camp, Ronaldinho would go on to become the best in the world, picking up the 2005 Balon d’Or in the process.
It was in Barcelona, that Ronaldinho would link up with a little unknown Argentinian by the name of Lionel Messi.
Ronaldinho claimed Lionel Messi is ‘best of his time’
Messi broke into the Barca first-team in 2004, a time in which Ronaldinho was at the peak of his powers.
The South American pair would light up La Liga and the Champions League, winning a number of titles on the way.
Messi would ultimately go on to replace Ronaldinho as Barcelona’s talisman, following the attacker’s move to Milan in 2011.
While Messi’s career flourished, Ronaldinho’s career post-Catalonia started to fade as the Brazilian struggled with fitness and personal problems.
Ronaldinho has since honed in on his former Barca teammate, labeling the Argentinian as the ‘best of his time’, following Messi’s 2019 Balon d’Or win (as reported by Marca).
Ronaldinho rejected Messi GOAT claims
Despite the Brazilian claiming Messi is the best of his era, he refused to label his former team-mate as the GOAT, suggesting three other legends are better.
When questioned on the subject, Ronaldinho suggested Diego Maradona, Pele and Ronaldo Nazario could rank above the Argentina legend on the greatest of all-time list.
“I can’t say Messi is the best ever, but he is the best of his time,
“I’m happy for Messi because he is a friend, besides he has been a reference point for Barcelona.
“I don’t like comparisons because it’s hard to identify who is the best in history, there is Diego Maradona, Pele and Ronaldo.“
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
