Marca listed the top six football players of all time in October 2024, but who else was included except Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
With 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them—eight for Messi and five for Ronaldo—the 37-year-old Messi and the 40-year-old Ronaldo are frequently compared by fans and are regarded as the two best players in history, solidifying their claim to be the greatest of all time.
However, who were the other four players on MARCA’s roster?
The inclusion of South American legends Pele and Diego Maradona was not surprising, considering the two had won four World Cup trophies between them.
Messi topped the list, followed by Ronaldo in second place, Pele in third, and not Maradona in fourth.
Alfredo Di Stefano, a former forward for Real Madrid, was chosen by the Spanish tabloid instead.
Having scored 306 goals in 392 games for Los Blancos between 1953 and 1964, Di Stefano is regarded as one of the team’s finest players. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 88.
Then, in Marca’s list, Maradona came in fifth, while former Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands great Johan Cruyff came in sixth.
“All of the Big 6 have an amazing track record,” Marca stated. Messi has the distinction of being regarded as the No. 1 of the No. 1s since he has won more than anybody else.
Thus, Messi was given what is known as the ‘MARCA America Award’.
The greatest discussion between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
What have Ronaldo and Messi previously stated regarding the GOAT discussion, given that they are at the top of the list?
“I was looking the other day, and not being left-footed, I’m in the top 10 goalscorers with their left foot in history,” Ronaldo said earlier this year when speaking to El Chringuito TV.
“As well as with my mind, right foot, and penalties. Every one of them.
https://x.com/elchiringuitotv/status/1886701236478681370
He went on to say, “I’m talking about numbers,” “I believe that I am the greatest complete player that has ever lived. Personally, I believe it’s me.
“I’m good at everything in football: free kicks, left foot, and head. I’m powerful and quick.
Saying Ronaldo isn’t complete; I’m the most complete. “One thing is taste; if you favour Messi, Pele, or Maradona, I accept and appreciate it. I genuinely believe that I am the best person I have ever seen.
Both players’ arguments are, of course, supported by statistics; although Messi has won the World Cup, Ronaldo has only experienced European success on the international front once, when Portugal won Euro 2016.
What has Messi said about the subject, then?
The Inter Miami player hasn’t often responded directly to enquiries about the GOAT controversy, but in a 2018 interview with PAPER, he did.
“I don’t consider myself the best, I think I am just another player,” Messi stated.
“On the pitch, we are all the same when the game begins.”
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