Former Argentinian footballer Angel Di Maria has robustly rejected Cristiano Ronaldo's claims of being the GOAT of the sport and declared that Lionel Messi is without doubt the best in history. Di Maria pointed out how there is a stark difference between the Ballon d'Or awards both Messi (8) and Ronaldo (5) have in their respective careers.
Di Maria, who retired after winning the Copa America in 2024, played both with Ronaldo and Messi. The veteran footballer plied his trade for Real Madrid alongside Ronaldo from 2010-2014 and played with Messi since they were youth. Messi and Di Maria were also part of the national side that lifted the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
With Ronaldo declaring himself as the best and the most complete footballer in history, the 37-year-old claimed that Messi is touched by magic wand and that the Portugese is born in a wrong generation: In an interview with Infobae, he claimed:
"I'm not surprised, I was with him [Ronaldo] for four years. It was always like that. He always made those statements, he always tried to be the best, but well, he was born in a generation, just at a bad time, because another one was born who was touched by the magic wand [Messi]. The reality is shown in numbers. One has eight Ballons d'Or, the other five. There is a very big difference. Being a world champion is another very big difference, having two Copa Americas."
"There are many differences, many. And then you see him in the games, you see it in every minute of every game, that one plays as if he were in the backyard. He hits the same goal as always and keeps doing it. And he's been doing it for 18, 20 years."
"The final wasn't nice" - Angel Di Maria reflects on winning Copa America last year
With Di Maria retiring from international duty but still playing for Benfica, he hopes to see Messi part ways with Inter Miami and join him in the Portuguese club. He also recalled how disappointed he was to see Messi injured during the Copa America final, adding:
"Yes, it would be the only way. The final wasn't nice, because even though we won, on the other hand it was a piece of sh*t that Leo got injured in the match and then was out for all that time. When he asked to come off, and he fell by himself, I realized that he had messed up, because otherwise it's impossible. He always has some discomfort or something, he always keeps going, always keeps going. He never lets you down. So when that happened, I realized that I was screwed."
