Ruud Gullit does not want to label Lionel Messi as the best footballer of all time. The former Orange international thinks it is too complicated to compare players over time and simply calls Messi the best player of our time.
“No, not the best of all time,” Gullit responded at Ziggo Sport’s Football Café to the question of whether Messi can be called the “GOAT” after winning the world title. “I think he is the best of this time. I think you can’t compare a lot of things with each other,” he added.
Gullit then pointed to the careers of Pelé and Diego Maradona, ”If you win the World Cup three times (Pelé)… Yes, sorry, that’s a lot. The 1960s and a small part of the 1970s was Pelé’s era. Then came Maradona’s time.”
Mbappe’s praise
Gullit was then asked if Kylian Mbappé has the talent to become the best player in the world. The attacker of France made a hat-trick in the World Cup final and won the world title in 2018. “I really think Mbappé is a boss. When you’ve been under so much pressure, also because he almost went to Real Madrid, and just keeps scoring goals… He didn’t hit a marble in the final, we didn’t see him for 70 minutes. But he just scored two goals in two minutes.
“Mbappé scored from a penalty kick in regular time, in extra time and in the penalty series. There was a lot of discussion about whether Harry Kane should have taken the second penalty against France. Well, Mbappé can take three. Can you imagine how strong you must be mentally,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Olé wrote, “’Glory to God, glory to Messi. Fate, which so often seemed ruthless against him, had saved the best for last. Today Messi has walked into eternity. Today Messi has become the best player in history, sorry Diego.”
