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.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal took a cheeky jab at Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham after his side’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Los Blancos in Sunday’s El Clasico.
Before the match, Barcelona had suffered a Champions League exit to Inter Milan, which led to some Real Madrid players, including Bellingham and club legend Sergio Ramos, showing support for Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni by liking his celebratory post on social media.
But Yamal had the last word after Barcelona’s win. The 17-year-old took to Instagram with a playful message, saying “like this one too” alongside a winking emoji. He posted a photo of himself mimicking a famous Cristiano Ronaldo celebration from 2012, when Ronaldo’s goal sealed a 2-1 win for Real Madrid over Barcelona after a crushing 5-0 defeat earlier that season.
Yamal’s goal, along with efforts from Eric Garcia and Raphinha, secured the victory for Barcelona, while Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick wasn’t enough for Madrid.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick praised Lamine Yamal for his mature display in their thrilling 4-3 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday. The 17-year-old forward impressed once again, helping push the Catalan side closer to the LaLiga title.
Yamal netted Barcelona’s second goal with a sharp finish into the corner of the net just inside the box, turning the game around after they had gone two goals down to an early Kylian Mbappé brace. By halftime, Barça were up 4-2. Though Mbappé later completed his hat-trick, Barcelona managed to hang on for the win at the Olympic Stadium, putting them seven points ahead of Madrid with only three matches left.
Speaking after the match, Flick dismissed any notion of Yamal being too young for the moment. “He’s not just a kid,” the coach said. “He’s confident, smart, and knows what he’s doing out there. That goal brought us back into the game and showed just how much quality he has at only 17. That’s exactly what we expect from him.”
Barcelona winger Raphinha has expressed deep gratitude toward manager Hansi Flick, crediting him for changing the course of his career. Ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid, Raphinha shared how Flick’s influence made all the difference. The Brazilian revealed that, without Flick’s intervention, he might not have been at Barcelona today.
“I’ll always be thankful to Hansi Flick. He completely transformed my career,” Raphinha said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. “He wanted to see me in training before deciding my future, and he included me in his plans. Without him, I might be at another club right now, not Barcelona.”
Raphinha has been in outstanding form this season, scoring 32 goals and assisting 25 in 51 appearances for the Catalan side. He has already secured the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España titles with Barcelona, and his performances have earned him a place as the joint-top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, tied with Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy, both with 13 goals.
Brazilian football legend Rivaldo has even backed Raphinha to claim the 2025 Ballon d’Or, a testament to his remarkable rise.
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