“He doesn’t run much, but when he has the ball, he is almost unstoppable” – Maxime Gonalons explains ‘best player in the world’ argument about Lionel Messi
Clermont Foot midfielder Maxime Gonalons has hailed Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi as the best footballer in the world. In awe of the Argentine, the Frenchman claimed that Messi was near impossible to stop when in full flight.
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has started the 2022-23 campaign in fine fashion. He has scored four goals and claimed two assists in four games across competitions, helping PSG to four consecutive victories.
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Gonalons, who joined Clermont Foot earlier this summer, had a candid interview with Ligue 1’s official outlet. During the chat, he was asked to name the opponent who had impressed him the most. Unhesitantly, he gave the honor to Lionel Messi. He said:
“The best player in the world, Lionel Messi! I don't know if he's the best player of all time because it's difficult to compare eras, but he's part of that discussion.
“He spends his time getting between the lines, hiding. He doesn't run much but, when he has the ball, he is almost unstoppable.”
Messi started for PSG when they took on Clermont Foot on matchday one of the 2022-23 Ligue 1 campaign. The Argentine maverick scored twice (including an overhead kick) and provided an assist to guide his team to an emphatic 5-0 win.
Maxime Gonalons claims it was normal for Lionel Messi to struggle in his debut season
Having won 45 trophies over the course of 17 glory-laden seasons at Barcelona, Messi left the club as a free agent at the end of his contract last summer. He joined Paris Saint-Germain days later with high hopes but failed to hit the ground running.
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The Argentinian received a lot of flak for his poor form over the course of the 2021-22 campaign, but Gonalons claimed that it was natural for the superstar to struggle. Dissecting the reasons Messi’s struggles, Gonalons said:
“I know he was criticized last season but you have to understand that, even if he is Argentinian, he is just as much from Barcelona, given the number of years he has spent there. I understand what he went through when he left Barcelona to have gone through the same thing when I left Lyon.
“When you have spent 20 years in a club, you have plenty of habits. In Paris, he had to adapt to another culture. It is also another football.I remember his first match with PSG, in Reims, where he got hit 2-3 times, he wasn't used to it in La Liga!”
He concluded by saying:
“Even if he is one of the greatest players in history, it is normal to need time to adapt.”
Lionel Messi featured in 34 games for PSG last season, recording 11 goals. Only six of those goals came in the French top-flight (26 appearances).