Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi is now “above” Al Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and only one player in history now stands next to him, according to Joe Cole.
Ronaldo and Messi have often been pitted against one another in the so-called ‘GOAT debate’ to determine the best player in the history of the sport.
Messi’s glittering playing career at club level saw him forever etch his name in the history books at Barcelona, with the Argentine winning a club-record 35 trophies.
The 35-year-old forward’s silverware cabinet at the Camp Nou included a whopping 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and seven Copa del Reys.
Messi has also silenced his harshest critics on the international stage after his triumphs with Argentina at the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner inspired his native country to the World Cup title in Qatar with an exhilarating penalty shootout win over 2018 champions France.
Messi has shown little desire to call it time on his international or club playing career, despite establishing himself as one of the finest players in the history of the sport.
The Barcelona legend was in action for PSG in their 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the first-leg last-16 Champions League tie at the Parc des Princes.
Ahead of PSG’s Champions League defeat, Cole appeared on a BT Sport panel to discuss the hotly debated topic surrounding the GOAT of football.
The BT Sport pundit believes that Messi is the best player of all time, with Brazil legend Pele being the only player who could challenge him in the GOAT debate.
When asked by BT Sport presenter Seema Jaswal if Messi had achieved GOAT status and if there was still any room for a debate, Cole said: “There’s always the debate because it’s always going to be about what you think.
“I think what [Messi] has put to bed, though, is the debate of this generation, because he’s gone and completed it now, he’s won everything in the game.”
He added: “I’ve never seen a player like him, what he can do with the ball, his ability, his personality — everything. And it’s just a joy to watch him every time.
“I think he’s the greatest player of all time. Pele is the only one who can have an argument in that case.
“I don’t think CR7 or R9 [Ronaldo Nazario] or [Diego] Maradona — I think he’s gone above them. He stands next to Pele now.”
Gerard Pique has his say on the GOAT debate as he picks between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has had his say on the GOAT debate as he picks between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pique shocked the football world in November when he announced his immediate retirement from professional football.
In a career that spanned 18 years, Pique spent most of the time as a Barcelona player, getting his hands on multiple La Liga and Champions League titles.
On the International stage, Pique won both the Euro and the World Cup with Spain.
Pique is also one of the more fortunate players to have had the chance to share the pitch with both Messi and Ronaldo.
Before joining Barcelona to play with Messi, Pique was at Manchester United where he played alongside Ronaldo.
The Spaniard has now waded in on the GOAT debate, Pique told John Nellis’ YouTube channel: “Well, it’s true that the fight between the two in the last decade was quite impressive because both of them did incredibly well. I think that in terms of talent, Messi is number one, for sure. It’s true that Cristiano has worked very hard to try and compete and fight for that first spot but if you see the careers of both… I would choose Messi, for sure.
“He showed that even though he’s 35 he can compete as the best player in the world. He showed it in the World Cup.”
When asked whether he has spoken to Messi since Argentina’s World Cup triumph, Pique revealed: “Erm… not really. This is crazy but it’s true, I was disconnected from the World Cup. Since my retirement, I needed to disconnect from sports, so I didn’t watch any games apart from the final – and not the whole game.
“I tried to disconnect, I went on holiday for a few days. My last few months were tough as a pro and I really needed to disconnect from football.”
Since his retirement, Pique has spent time on his other interests which include a 7-a-side league in Spain.
