4 Reasons Why Lionel Messi Is the Greatest Footballer of All Time
Football, or soccer as it’s known in North America, is a global sport with roots dating back more than 2,000 years ago. Today, there are more than 200 national men’s leagues, and more than 240 million people play the sport on a regular basis, according to FIFA.
With this much history and popularity, it’s not surprising that there are many players in the conversation for the best football player of all time. Legends like Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Franz Beckenbauer left their mark on the sport in the 20th century, but today the “best in the world” conversation often starts and stops with two modern stars: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi and Ronaldo, both of whom are still playing, have been among the best in their sport for more than a decade and, thus, have been career rivals. They both played in their fifth World Cup in 2022 and rank first and second all-time in total goals at all club competitions.
There’s an argument to be made for either player’s case as the best of all time, but Messi is ultimately more deserving of that accolade. Here’s why.
7-Time Ballon d’Or Winner
Presented by the France Football news magazine to the best football player of the year, the Ballon d’Or is considered the most prestigious individual award in the sport. Stanley Matthews was the first player to win the Ballon d’Or in 1956 and 10 players, including Messi and Ronaldo, have won the award at least twice. Messi ranks first with seven Ballon d’Or wins, while Ronaldo, a five-time winner, is in second place. Ronaldo’s resume is impressive — no other player won the award more than three times — but Messi’s year-over-year consistency gives him the edge in the best of all time debate.
Messi won the award seven times from 2009 to 2021 and finished in the top three in voting in all but one year from 2007 to 2021. Ronaldo wasn’t one of the three finalists in 2021, the last year Messi won the Ballon d’Or.
International Success
One of the few criticisms Messi’s detractors had about the talented Argentinian forward was his lack of success in international competition, specifically at the FIFA World Cup. Prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi had yet to win the championship with Argentina and had scored just six goals in four previous tournaments.
However, at 35 years old in Qatar, Messi had his best performance to date, scoring seven goals in seven matches and leading his country to its first World Cup title in 36 years. Messi scored two of those seven goals in the final against France and was the first player in World Cup history to score in all four knockout round matches.
While Ronaldo has scored more goals for Portugal than any other player has for their country, he has only scored eight goals in 22 matches at the World Cup. He scored just once in a Group stage match against Ghana in Qatar.
Impact on Teammates
Messi and Ronaldo may have similar goal scoring abilities, but Messi is the better all-around player. Advanced stats support this idea. The Economist developed a stat, known as Expected Points Added (EPA), that rated players’ goals by their importance in the game, or added win probability. Messi had a 59.5 EPA compared to Ronaldo’s 50.4. GoodCall developed another stat, Efficiency Per Match, to rate a player’s decision-making and efficiency on the pitch, taking into account passes, shots, made dribbles, and chances created. In 2019, Messi had a 238 EPM compared to Ronaldo’s 118.
Messi also utilizes his teammates more than Ronaldo and makes them better with his playmaking abilities. Before the 2022 World Cup, Messi had 350 assists in 1,003 appearances at the club and international levels, while Ronaldo had just 234 assists in 1,145 appearances.
“A true leader, he brings his team together,” writes Elad De Piccioto of Messi for The Perspective. “Not only does he have more assists and key passes than Ronaldo, he is always using his phenomenal vision to keep his teammates involved.” In other words, Messi excels at strategically constructing attacks — he is consistently able to locate the free space where he can receive the ball and direct it to a teammate.
Character on and off the Pitch
Aside from his excellence on the pitch, Messi is also a humble player who doesn’t put himself ahead of his own team, nor does he seek out attention. Ronaldo, conversely, has a reputation for arrogance among the media and even fans. His antics on the pitch (selling injuries and complaining to the referee) draw attention to himself and disrupt the flow of matches.
For example, Ronaldo drew negative attention to himself and his Portuguese national team at the 2022 World Cup when his petulant reaction to being taken out of a Group stage game against South Korea attracted international media attention. He also angered his coach, Fernando Santos, who chose not to start him in Portugal’s next game against Switzerland.
Both Messi and Ronaldo are unquestionably at the top of their game, but ultimately, Messi’s tactical skill, consistency, team-player attitude, and humility make him the “GOAT.”