“I never said I’m the best in history” – Lionel Messi reacts to being considered greatest footballer ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and others

Lionel Messi has touched on comparisons made between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo and where he ranks in the pantheons of the greatest footballers in history. The Argentine icon recently won a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or but there was a lot of controversy surrounding his triumph.

Many opined that Robert Lewandowski was more deserving of the award while Cristiano Ronaldo also generated controversy for a contentious comment on Instagram.

Lionel Messi was involved in a rare full-length interview with France Football (the organizers of the Ballon d'Or award and he touched on many subjects surrounding his career. On being considered the best footballer in history, Lionel Messi had this to say:

"I never said I'm the best in history nor do I try to push that perception myself. For me, being considered by others as one of the best in history is more than enough."

Messi added:

"It's something I would never have imagined. It's something that doesn't interest me, it doesn't change anything whether I'm considered the best or not. And I never wanted to be.”

He also stated that he elected to leave the number 10 jersey for Neymar on joining PSG out of respect for his friendship with the Brazilian.

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Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the never-ending debate about who is the greater player

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been compared to each other.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have redefined footballing history with their exploits over the last 15 years. Their extraordinary displays have understandably led to intense debates over who the greater player of all time is.

While both men try to shy away from the topic as much as possible, fans and the media alike take every occasion to reopen the debate. It does not help that both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo break or set new records in almost every other game they play.

With Messi having won his seventh Ballon d'Or on Tuesday, his fans had the bragging rights, albeit very briefly.

Two days later, Cristiano Ronaldo entered the record books as the first man in professional footballing history to score 800 career goals. His brace against Arsenal took him to 801 career goals, which once again underlined his greatness.

Lionel Messi is not too far behind on 756 career goals and the attention has turned to whether the Rosario native can overtake the Manchester United man before he retires. When asked about this by France Football, Messi said:

"I always wanted to surpass myself and not look at what others were doing. With Cristiano, we kept our battle going within the same league for years. It has been wonderful and has helped us both to grow in our careers. But without looking at each other. I just wanted to surpass myself, to be the best I could be, and not better than any other."

Lionel Messi will next be in action when PSG take on Lens in Ligue 1 on Saturday.