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Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane are some of the most celebrated footballers in the history of the sport.
They have bagged the most prestigious trophies, scored unforgettable goals, and inspired generations of players, emerging as solid candidates for the greatest of all time debate.
Determining the GOAT of football has proven to be an onerous task for humans, which is why we put the renowned AI language model ChatGPT to work. When we gave ChatGPT the seemingly impossible task of naming the greatest footballer of all time, here's the answer it came up with:
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“There is no definitive answer to this question, as opinions on the greatest football (soccer) players of all time can vary depending on factors such as personal preferences, era of play and regional biases. However, here are some names that are often mentioned when discussing the greatest football players of all time:”
It continued:
“Pele - Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, Pele scored over 1,000 career goals and won three World Cups with Brazil.
“Diego Maradona - Considered by many as one of the most gifted and influential footballers of all time, Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 with his famous 'Hand of God' goal.”
It added:
“Lionel Messi - A seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Messi is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation and has won numerous titles with Barcelona.
“Cristiano Ronaldo - A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldo has won numerous titles with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and is known for his incredible scoring ability.”
The response continued:
“Johan Cruyff - A Dutch legend, Cruyff was a key player for Ajax and Barcelona and is credited with helping to revolutionize the game with his 'Total Football' style.
“Franz Beckenbauer - A dominant defender for Bayern Munich and the German national team, Beckenbauer won three European Cups and captained his country to World Cup glory in 1974.”
ChatGPT’s response concluded:
“Zinedine Zidane - A gifted midfielder for Real Madrid and the French national team, Zidane is known for his incredible technique and skill, and led his team to victory in the 1998 World Cup.
“These are just a few of the many players who could be considered among the greatest of all time, and there are many others who could be added to this list depending on one's personal preferences and criteria.”
With Pele, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, Cruyff, Beckenbauer and Zidane all making great cases for themselves, picking a definitive GOAT remains an impossible task, even for AI.
Considering the fact that many of them played in different eras and excelled in unique areas, the divisive answer to the GOAT question is by far the most logical.
When former Portugal and Barcelona star Deco chose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
The Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi debate is as old as time. Over the last 15 years, many players, past and present, have put in their two cents, picking one over the other.
In 2021, Deco, who shared the dressing room with both players, was asked to give his take. He praised both players before finally giving the Argentine his vote. The former Portugal and Barcelona attacking midfielder said (via Somos Invictos):
“They are two friends; it is difficult to give an opinion, to choose. This topic is very old; it is to finish discussing. You can compare Cristiano Ronaldo with Ronaldo (Nazário), because of the way he plays. Messi and Cristiano are very different.
“I was always passionate about technical players. I am from a generation that my idols were Maradona and Zico. I was never much of the guys on the attack front. I was always one of the guys who had those qualities (technical, generational). That's why I ended up staying with Messi.”
Deco played 79 games with the Paris Saint-Germain ace at Barcelona between 2004 and 2008, combining for nine goals. He also represented Portugal 57 times alongside Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo, linking up for six goals.
