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#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Swedish legend
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi both played for Barcelona a decade ago. Although the Swede's time at Camp Nou didn't end too well, he has only reserved praise for Messi.
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The AC Milan star doesn't think another player will replicate Messi's successes on the pitch. He said:
“I think Messi is one of a kind. What he's doing, I don't know if we will see another player do the things that he does. It is different [with Ronaldo] because he is the result of hard training. It is not natural.”
#3 Jurgen Klopp | Liverpool manager
Liverpool have had to face Real Madrid and Barcelona over the last few years in the Champions League. Ronaldo's Los Blancos stunned the Reds to a defeat and picked up the coveted continental trophy in the 2018 final. But Jurgen Klopp has picked Lionel Messi as his greatest ever player.
Liverpool notably produced an astonishing comeback to kick Barcelona and Messi out of the Champions League in 2019. But that hasn't stopped Klopp from showering the diminutive magician with praise. He said:
"For me it's Messi, but I couldn't admire Ronaldo any more than I already do. We've played against both and both are impossible to defend, but Messi had much lower physical conditions from birth on."
Klopp added:
"If you could build a perfect player then he'd have Ronaldo's height, he could jump and run like Ronaldo. On the other side you've got little Messi who makes everything look so simple. So, I like him maybe a little bit more as a player on the pitch."
#2 Thierry Henry | Arsenal legend
The former Arsenal man made the move to Barcelona to win the Champions League trophy, which he did. On his Barca team, and the major reason for their continental victory, was Lionel Messi. Thierry Henry has never played with Cristiano Ronaldo, so his response might be biased. But the star made it clear that those shared memories at Camp Nou add up. He mentioned:
"I don’t think we fully realise just what these guys are achieving. So, while huge respect goes to Ronaldo, having played with Messi and shared extraordinary moments with him, both in victory and defeat, it has to be Leo."
#1 Diego Maradona | Argentina legend
The late legend enjoyed a scintillating career of his own before Lionel Messi came on the scene. People once compared Diego Maradona to Pele, both of whom were two of the best players ever. However, Messi and Ronaldo blew the duo out of the water.
For Maradona, football history will remember Lionel Messi. He once said:
“I can't remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly. I prefer Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo but I acknowledge that the latter is an animal. Football history will remember Messi. Football has given him a lot, as much as he has given the sport and to win a World Cup, in my opinion, wouldn't bring himself anything else.”
