Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario, nicknamed “The Phenomenon”, believes that Lionel Messi, the star of the American club Inter Miami and the Argentine national team, is the best player in the history of football.
“Hat-trick” against Algeria
Yesterday (Wednesday), in the first round of the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored a hat-trick for his country against Algeria, raising his tally of goals in the World Cup to 16 goals, making him equal with German Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
It’s time to admit the truth
Ronaldo said in statements reported by the Spanish newspaper AS: “It is time for the world to stop evading the truth and acknowledge that Messi is the best player in history.”
The former Real Madrid and Barcelona player added: “Messi continues to perform at great levels every season and in the World Cup, yet there are still doubts about him.”
Historic night
Regarding Messi’s performance against Algeria, Ronaldo said: “It is an unforgettable and historic night that will remain immortal in the history books.”
Continuous tributes from legends of the game
Ronaldo Nazario was not the only one who praised Messi after the hat-trick, as his former Barcelona teammates, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, praised the Argentine star’s performance.
Henry said: “Messi is simply different, he is a completely different story.” As for Zlatan, he said: “I do not think we will see another Messi, because he is an exceptional player, as if football was played for him.”
