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.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi speaks on the Netherlands’ elimination from the World Cup.
The coach explained why the team was eliminated. “Morocco has gained everybody’s respect now,” Ouahbi said, adding: “It’s not because of what we’ve said. We’ve now shown it.
“We completely dominated a Netherlands team. We had 70% possession, more shots and more expected goals. We controlled the match. We wanted to stay calm, play our game and believe that if it went to penalties, we had an exceptional goalkeeper. We didn’t turn the match into a chaotic battle. We controlled it.”
Nigerian footballer and former captain William Troost-Ekong revealed the standout player for him in the South African team during this World Cup.
He shared that Mbekezile Mbokazi really stood out in the World Cup match against Canada.
Despite their loss, he praised the team’s performance. “It speaks volumes that Mbokazi [Mbekezile] was the best player on the South African team. I believe Okon also had considerable possession of the ball.”
Poland footballer Robert Lewandowski’s new club has officially been revealed.
It can be noted that the player was involved in the ongoing summer transfer window, with negotiations taking place over his future.
The footballer will be joining Chicago Fire. It can be recalled that he visited the club two weeks ago, and the move has now been confirmed. The information was shared by football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
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