Not referring to himself, Messi directly points to the GOAT of football

In a recent interview, Lionel Messi amused fans by modestly mentioning Maradona, Jordan, Nadal, and several other sports icons rather than boasting about himself.

Lionel Messi is often hailed as the “GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time), but he recently amused fans with a knowing smile during an interview before unexpectedly praising other sports legends.

In a widely shared interview clip on social media, a reporter called Messi the “GOAT of football.” The Inter Miami superstar simply smiled.

The reporter then continued to ask: “You are the GOAT of football, so who is the GOAT in other sports?”

Messi paused thoughtfully and shared: “In football, for us Argentinians, Maradona has always been the greatest, an immortal legend, the greatest player because of what he represents for all of us. Even though I was young then, Diego transcended all limits; he is a symbol beyond any boundary.”

Messi’s humility is clear as he pays the highest respect to his late compatriot.

Not only limited to football, the champion of the 2022 World Cup expanded the discussion to other sports: “If we talk about another sport, I think Michael Jordan has a similar impact. I also deeply admire tennis players like Rafa Nadal. The trio of Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic have made tennis competition greater than ever.”

He added: “In basketball, for example, I greatly admire LeBron James and Stephen Curry. They have both contributed immensely to their sport, each in their own unique way.”

In conclusion, Messi said with a gentle smile: “Surely, I have forgotten many other athletes, but if I had to pick a few iconic names, they would be the ones.”

In this interview, Lionel Messi also shared about his life and career, emphasizing that his Argentine roots shaped who he is from a young age: “Argentina has meant everything to me since I was a child. Everything I have learned in life, I learned from my family back home,” he said.

“The values my parents taught me, along with the close family upbringing, have stayed with me from the very beginning. Later, I moved to Barcelona and had to start from scratch. I lived alone in a foreign country where I knew no one. Over time, I carried all those experiences into my life with my wife and children.”

Messi was trained at Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, where his natural talent quickly shone, beginning his journey to becoming a football genius admired worldwide.

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