The Verdict of Football Royalty:
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Pele “Today, football continues to weave its narrative, as always, in a captivating manner. Messi has clinched his first World Cup championship, and he truly deserves it, considering what he has demonstrated throughout the journey to the coveted golden cup.”
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Arsène Wenger: “The best player ever? Lionel Messi.”
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Diego Maradona “I’ve seen the player who will inherit my position in Argentine football, and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius.” Even in Argentina, where Maradona himself is revered as a saintly figure, Messi’s stature transcends to new heights. Maradona’s declaration underscores Messi’s exceptional talents and impact.
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Roy Keane “I was a big fan of Maradona growing up, and currently, Ronaldo is playing well, but Messi is the best I’ve ever seen. I look for weaknesses in his game and I can’t find them.” Former Manchester United legend Roy Keane has no reservations in affirming Messi’s supremacy, comparing him favorably to even his football idols.
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Johan Cruyff “Messi will be the player with the most Ballon d’Or awards in history. He’ll win five, six, seven. He’s incomparable. He’s in a different league.” Cruyff’s foresight accentuates Messi’s dominance, projecting unprecedented achievements in the realm of individual awards.
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Pep Guardiola “Don’t write about him, don’t try to describe him, just watch him.” Guardiola’s modest words encapsulate the awe-inspiring effect Messi has, a testament to their time together at Barcelona, where Guardiola propelled Messi to new heights.
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Luis Figo “For me, watching Messi is pure pleasure – it’s like reaching ecstasy – an unbelievable joy.” Former Portuguese forward Luis Figo’s inclination toward Messi in the ongoing Ronaldo vs. Messi debate speaks volumes.
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Paolo Maldini “I think he has reached and surpassed the level of Maradona. He does things that are unthinkable, with insane speed.”
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic “Messi doesn’t need his right foot. He only uses the left and he’s still the best in the world. Imagine if he also used his right foot, then we would have serious problems.” Swedish maverick Zlatan Ibrahimovic reserves praise for only a select few, and Messi ranks high among them.
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Hristo Stoichkov “Once they said they can only stop me with a gun. Today you need a machine gun to stop Messi.”
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Raul “Last time I watched one of his matches, he was running with the ball at 100 percent speed. I don’t know how many times he touched it, maybe five or six times, but the ball was glued to his foot. It’s just impossible.”
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Javier Mascherano “Even though he might not be human, it’s good that Messi still thinks he is.”
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John Terry “Lionel Messi is clearly the best player in history. It’s great to have competed against him, and when I finish my career, it’s something I can look back on and say I’ve tested myself against the very best.”
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Frank Ribery “Messi is on another level. There’s him, and then there’s the rest. What he does is extraordinary.”
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Carles Puyol “He’s superior to anything I’ve seen. He’s an extraterrestrial.”
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Thierry Henry “What Leo does is so extraordinary that I have to be careful not to stand still watching him perform his moves.”
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Luis Enrique “There’s no doubt anymore, Messi is the best in the world and for me, he’s football history.”
From Diego Maradona’s prophetic passing of the torch to Messi, to Pep Guardiola’s simple yet profound plea to watch and observe, these football legends unanimously extol Messi’s greatness. A sentiment echoed by each icon, Messi’s claim to the SUPER BALLON D’OR is indisputable, and his legacy in the football universe is an enduring testament to his unparalleled talents.
