“You had Pele, Maradona, there were so many” - Ronaldinho responds to claims that PSG superstar Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time

Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has refused to name former teammate and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer of all time.

At 35 years of age, PSG talisman Lionel Messi is slowly nearing the end of his career. However, he continues to be regarded as one of the best footballers in the world right now.

The Argentinean icon has undoubtedly established himself as one of the greatest players of this generation. He won 35 trophies during his 21-year stint with Barcelona and has bagged two titles with Les Parisiens.

While the FIFA World Cup has evaded him, Messi finally realized his desire to win a trophy with Argentina last year. The forward led La Albiceleste to Copa America glory in July 2021.

It is worth noting that the former Barcelona superstar has also bagged the Ballon d'Or seven times. He is thus widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time over the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldinho, though, is not sure if Messi can solely claim to be the greatest footballer of all time. The Barcelona great named Pele and Maradona and insisted that there are several players who were the best in their own generations. He told Eleven Sports:

"It is difficult to say, there are so many players. I don't like to compare. You had Pele, Maradona, there we so many. Everyone of them was the best in their own time."

It is worth noting that Messi shared the dressing room with Ronaldinho for four seasons at Barcelona. The two played 80 matches together and even combined to score nine goals.

---

How has Lionel Messi fared for PSG this term?

The Argentinean put an end to his 21-year association with Barcelona ahead of the 2021-22 season. He went on to join PSG on a free transfer, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract.

He struggled to hit the ground running at the Parc des Princes, with injuries hindering his progress. Many deemed his debut season with PSG to be underwhelming despite contributing to 26 goals from 35 matches.

The forward, though, has made a flying start to his second season with the Ligue 1 champions. He has netted six goals and provided eight assists from 11 games across all competitions already.

It is worth noting that the former Barcelona superstar will take part in his fifth FIFA World Cup in Qatar this year. As he nears the end of his career, he will be keen to finally get his hands on the elusive trophy.