“Within the area I was much better than Messi and Maradona anyway” - When ex-Barcelona star made emphatic claim about Argentina legends
Former Barcelona striker Romario once claimed he was better than both Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. The two Argentine legends are widely considered among the greatest of their respective generations.
Romario played for Barcelona between 1993 and 1995, recording 39 goals and 15 assists in 65 appearances. He was notably a part of Johan Cryuff's 'Dream Team'. The Brazilian retired from professional football in 2008 but has come out of retirement twice since then in 2009 and 2024.
In an interview with Fox Sports Brasil in 2017, Romario was asked to name the greatest footballer of all time. The Brazilian striker responded (via MARCA):
"Messi has to win a World Cup, so I think that Maradona is better than him. Within the area I was much better than Messi and Maradona anyway. That's what I think and I say it with a lot of humility."
Romario then named his compatriot Neymar Jr as the best in the world at that time. His statement came just months before the Brazilian superstar moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Barcelona in August 2017 for a world-record €222 million fee.
"Today, for how he plays with his club and the national team, I would give the prize of the best in the world to Neymar," Romario concluded.
Since Romario's statements, Lionel Messi has led Argentina to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup alongside two consecutive Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. The Argentine stalwart has often been compared to the legendary Diego Maradona, especially after his performance at the 2022 World Cup where he contributed seven goals and three assists and won his second Golden Ball.
Maradona is most celebrated for his incredible performance in the 1986 World Cup, where he led Argentina to the title after a 3-2 win over West Germany in the final. The Argentine legend died in 2020 at the age of 60.
When Barcelona legend Gerard Pique claimed Lionel Messi should have won the Ballon d'Or every year since 2009
Multiple legends of the game have hailed Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time over the years. In 2016, the Argentine icon's former teammate and Barcelona legend Gerard Pique claimed that he was the best player in the world every year since 2009.
"If the Ballon d'Or were given to the best player in the world, Leo would have won it every year since 2009. Another level," Pique wrote on X.
The Inter Miami ace holds the record of winning the most number of Ballons d'Or in history, with eight to his name. His last win came in 2023 after he led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, in the year Pique made the aforementioned statement (2016), the former Blaugrana legend lost the Ballon d'Or to his archrival Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo won the coveted award after a stellar season with Real Madrid, when he won the UEFA Champions League and finished as top scorer in the tournament (16 goals). He also won the 2016 Euros with Portugal that season.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi ranked second in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 2016. He would, however, go on to win his sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019, before winning two more in 2021 and 2023.