Diego Maradona often praised Lionel Messi as the world's best player, especially as Messi emerged, but he also believed he himself was the greatest ever, while also naming other greats like Romario, Marco van Basten, and his childhood idol Jorge 'Mágico' González as exceptional. Maradona famously stated Messi was the best, though he voted for Ronaldo as convention prevented voting for Argentines, and acknowledged Messi's potential to surpass many.
Best player in history, according to Maradona
“I think the best was [Alfredo] Di Stéfano, he was superior to everyone - even me.
He is nicknamed El Bocha. He spent his nearly 20-year professional career at club Independiente, becoming one of the most emblematic players and the greatest idol in the history of the club. Bochini was a childhood idol of Argentine iconic footballer Diego Maradona.
The "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time) in football is a subjective debate, but Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are overwhelmingly considered the top contenders, with Messi often edging out due with recent major wins like the 2022 World Cup, though Ronaldo's longevity and dominance in multiple leagues also make a strong case, with many legends and publications naming Messi as #1. Other historical greats like Pelé and Maradona are also part of the conversation.
Diego Maradona praised the talent of Salvadoran soccer player Jorge "Mágico" González, calling him "the one footballer better than him". Some say that if González had been from Argentina or Brazil, he would have been considered one of the greatest soccer players ever.
Diego Maradona: “Cristiano Ronaldo is the heritage of football. Anyone who loves football will love Cristiano. I wish he was Argentine.” Maradona admires Ronaldo to be the Best 🐐👑
While Lionel Messi hasn't made extensive public declarations specifically about LGBTQ+ rights, his actions and associations, like supporting inclusivity through his foundation and playing in leagues with anti-discrimination policies, suggest a general alignment with inclusive values, though some social media rumors about him refusing pro-LGBTQ+ ads are likely exaggerated or false, as he focuses on football, not being a symbol, according to a Facebook post.
The debate over who is better, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, is ongoing, with Messi often favored by stats for overall impact, playmaking, and recent World Cup win, while Ronaldo leads in sheer volume of official goals and Champions League titles, showcasing different elite styles—Messi with unmatched dribbling and vision, Ronaldo with physical dominance and goalscoring prowess. Both are considered among the greatest ever, with Messi holding more Ballon d'Or awards and overall trophies, while Ronaldo boasts more goals and Champions League victories across different leagues.
Messi will score 900th goal in 2026. Can he reach 1,000? Can he pass Ronaldo? Lionel Messi is never far from breaking his next record or hitting his next landmark, and he enters 2026 on the verge of yet another massive milestone in his incredible career: his 900th goal.
After an illustrious 23-year soccer career, Cristiano Ronaldo has cemented his legacy in the annals of the sport, etching his name alongside legendary clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid. He has achieved the status of one of the greatest scorers in history, prompting him to refer to himself as the GOAT.
Maradona had arguably the Greatest Prime but CR7 has longevity and consistency…
Messi regularly entertained crowds by performing ball tricks during half-time, when the first team played home games. His goalscoring idol growing up was Brazilian striker Ronaldo, who Messi called "the best forward I've ever seen".
Boca Juniors (16.1 million supporters), River Plate (13.7 million), Independiente (4.6 million), Racing (4.2 million) and San Lorenzo (3.9 million) hold almost 86% of the fanbase in Argentina (although an important minority of these people are also fans of smaller clubs, usually from a lower division, a phenomenon very ...
"The Hand of God" (Spanish: La mano de Dios) is the name given to the opening goal awarded to Argentine footballer Diego Maradona during Argentina's victory over England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo needs 47 to reach 1,000 career goals. With a recent average of around 45 goals a year and a role built for finishing, he is statistically well-placed to cross the mark if he stays on the pitch until 2027.
🗣️ "In fact, we contacted Messi at the end of his contract in Paris." "We presented him with an offer of 💲1.5 million euros, but the player rejected it because his family wanted to live in Miami." 🗣️ "It's surprising that a player could decline an offer for the sake of his family." He managed to convince his family, ...
With more than 1000 goals in his career, Romario is the world's 2nd highest scorer. Legendary football player, qualifying as the world's best footballer, Pele's goal record, yet could not have been breakon. Pele, who scored a total of 1281 goals during his football career, very difficult to break this record.
Ten years ago today, Lionel Messi helped himself to four goals against Espanyol, taking his league tally past 50. He would finish the domestic and European season with a combined 73. We relive the season he broke all records.
GOATs in the history of football⚽ 1:🔥Cristiano Ronaldo🇵🇹( The goat and the greatest UCL player among all🐐) 2:🔥Pele🇧🇷(greatest world cup player🐐) 3:🔥Maradona🇦🇷(greatest Argentinian player🐐) 4:🔥Leo Messi🇦🇷(Carried by his fans🐖)
15 Best Dribblers in World Soccer—Ranked
These are the 5 surprising facts about Messi's best friend Luis Suarez. And Happy 38th Birthday to our Luis.
Cristiano Ronaldo has shared that he's been going to church, and it's amazing to witness. We're praying he truly encounters Jesus and chooses to walk with Him. There's a real shift happening right now, especially in football.
Namjoon, Tae and JK have all expressed support in various ways directly to LGBT+ fans that have showed up to fansites. Members like Yoongi has straight up said it's nothing wrong, everyone is equal, when Namjoon was a bit more “diplomatical” and tried to swerve the question a bit.
Societal acceptance is also very high. In a 2020 Pew Research Center poll, Argentina was ranked the South American country with the most positive societal attitudes towards homosexuality, with about three-quarters (76%) of those surveyed saying it should be accepted.