“For me it is very simple” - Ronaldinho gives his take on whether Lionel Messi deserved FIFA The Best Award ahead of Erling Haaland in 2023
Brazilian icon Ronaldinho has recently spoken about Lionel Messi winning the FIFA The Best Award ahead of Erling Haaland in 2023.
Considering a player's performance was taken into account from December 19, 2022, the day after Messi won the World Cup, many thought Haaland was the deserving winner.
The Norwegian played a starring role in Manchester City winning the European treble last year. However, he was tied in points with Messi in the voting. The Argentine won due to more number of the national team captains voting in his favor.
Speaking about Messi's triumph, his former Barcelona teammate Ronaldinho said (via MessiXtra on X):
“Messi is one of the best of all time. So how are you going to find out if he is the best in one year or another year? I think football is like that, each one thinks in their own way."
He added:
“For me he continues to be the best in the world, so for me it is very simple.”
2023 marked the fourth time Lionel Messi has won the FIFA award for being the best player. He won the FIFA Player of the Year Award in 2009 and FIFA The Best in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Ronaldinho commented on a young Lionel Messi in 2018
When Lionel Messi was forging into a world-beater at Barcelona, Ronaldinho was the leading superstar in world football. He was Barca's talisman and arguably the most entertaining player in the world.
The Brazilian legend, though, spotted Messi's potential at a very young age and tipped him to achieve greatness. Upon collaborating with The Players' Tribune in 2018 to create a masterful article, the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner wrote in a part:
"At Barcelona, you’ll hear about this kid on the youth team. He wears number 10 like you. He’s small like you. He plays with the ball like you. You and your teammates will go watch him play for Barcelona’s youth squad, and at that moment, you’ll know he’s going to be more than a great footballer. That kid is different. His name is Leo Messi."
Ronaldinho was often considered a mentor to young Messi, in fact, the Argentine's first professional goal was assisted by him. They played 80 games together as teammates and combined for nine goals.