Sport
Rodri Calls Messi the Greatest Footballer Ever After Winning His First Ballon d’Or
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has named Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer of all time, expressing his admiration for the Argentine star’s unmatched skill and dominance on the field.
Rodri, who recently clinched the 2024 Ballon d’Or award for his exceptional performances, spoke candidly about his respect for Messi during an interview with El Hormiguero.
While acknowledging his own prestigious accolade, Rodri highlighted the incredible achievement of Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or an unprecedented eight times—three more than his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Al Nassr.
The Spanish midfielder described the sense of inevitability Messi brings to a game, sharing his own experiences of trying to stop the legendary player on the pitch.
“Zero doubts. For me, Leo Messi is the best player ever,” Rodri said.
“When he received the ball, you knew something dangerous was coming.
I’d try to take the ball away from him, but he’d glide past me like I wasn’t even there.”
Messi’s eight Ballon d’Or wins solidify his legacy as one of football’s all-time greats.
From his years dominating at Barcelona to leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and now continuing to shine at Inter Miami, Messi has redefined what it means to be a football icon.
His rivalry with Ronaldo has fueled endless debates, but his consistency, versatility, and sheer brilliance have left even his opponents, like Rodri, in awe.
Rodri’s recognition of Messi’s greatness reflects the respect Messi commands within the football community.
Despite earning his first Ballon d’Or after a stellar season, including guiding Manchester City to a historic treble, Rodri still points to Messi’s long-standing brilliance as the pinnacle of football excellence.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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