“Am I the Best in History?”: Lionel Messi Silences Critics After Ballon d’Or 2021 Win

Lionel Messi, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, has been the best player in the sport for the past 15 years now. The Argentinian forward has been at the top of his game since 2007 and is often regarded as the GOAT. However, he doesn’t agree with that idea.

The forward recently talked about the notion that he was the greatest player of all time, something he doesn’t believe. Moreover, he expressed how being the best isn’t necessary for him.

Lionel Messi doesn’t think that he’s the best

“Am I the best in history? I’ve never said it, thought it, or even tried to get used to this idea. For me, just being able to be considered or cited as one of the best players in the world is more than enough,” Messi said.

Messi recently won his seventh Ballon d’Or this season for his performances in 2021. The forward recorded exceptional numbers for FC Barcelona and helped Argentina win the Copa America this season. Notably, he was also the man of the match in every single Copa America game that his country played.

His performances at the age of 34 have only ever been replicated by one man, his arch-nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward won the Ballon d’Or at 32 and was one of the best in the world, aged 34 as well.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his rivalry with Messi

Now at 36, Ronaldo is Manchester United’s top scorer this season and finished 6th in the Ballon d’Or rankings, which is a huge achievement. It’s yet to be seen how his season goes from this point on, but knowing him, United fans can dare to be hopeful of a resurrection.

On the other hand, Messi has had a relatively quieter time with Paris Saint Germain and is finding it hard to acclimatize to the new league. It’ll be interesting to see how his season goes from this point forward and if he can win a title with the Parisians or not.

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