Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o claimed on Wednesday that it would be hard for anyone to surpass the greatness and legacy of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Eto’o played with Messi at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009 before leaving for Inter Milan. He had won two Champions League and three La Liga titles with the Catalan giants.
“He would move between the B team and the first team, and he was very good. We already knew back then that Messi would one day become what he is today. I’m very happy because he’s achieved that through his own hard work,” said the 39-year old who was part of a terrific Barcelona attack with Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho.
Eto’o, who has seen Messi during his formative years to then grow into arguably one of the best footballers of all time, said the Barcelona mainstay hasn’t changed at all and is still the person he knew as a young player.
“He hasn’t changed at all. He’s still the good person that I knew back then, and that I still know.
“The most important thing for me is his character. Everyone appreciates him, adores him as a player. But he’s a wonderful guy and I’m proud to still be among his friends,” said the former Cameroon international.
Earlier, speaking about who the greatest of all time (GOAT) in football was, Brazilian legends and World Cup-winners Ronaldo and Ronaldinho had chosen Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Even though Ronaldo did not take the credit away from Cristiano and said that the Juventus forward is also “out of the world” like Messi, he believed the Argentine is a more complete player.
“He (Messi) is out of this world. Cristiano, too, but I see Leo as more complete. He’s great. I like him much more than any other player. Everything he does is spectacular,” the 43-year-old was quoted as saying on Sportbible.
Ronaldinho, on the other hand, declared Messi as “the best in history” but admitted that Ronaldo is also in the same league.
“He (Messi) is the best in history, no doubt. Nobody has done what Messi’s done. The other one [Ronaldo] is complete, he has it all. So does Messi, but it’s a question of taste and I prefer Messi’s style,” Messi’s former Barcelona teammate said.
Former Real Madrid and Manchester United player David Beckham had also rated Lionel Messi higher than Cristiano Ronaldo. “He (Messi) is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him. He, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest,” ex-England international was quoted as saying by Telam.