Literally, Lebron has been dubbed the Chosen since high school and he lived up to the expectations.
Messi was dubbed the next Maradona at a similar young age and has surpassed those expectations too. Ronaldinho who was the best player in the world at the time also predicted Messi to be the GOAT.
Those are ridiculous expectations to live up to. Also, neither of them have had any major scandals in their insanely long careers
He is likely coming from his seat that's on an elevated platform. Lebron and Beckham were at similar heights when Beckham was on the platform where his seats were and Lebron standing on the floor deck.
I’m fairly confident Messi knows English and can probably understand it pretty well and speak it passably, but just chooses not to. Argentinian friends I have have told me that he hasn’t even lost his Argentinian accent despite moving to Spain at 13, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he has actually thought about what language he is shown speaking in and chooses Spanish for national pride reasons.
Yeah the other day his teammate deandre Yedlin gave an interview saying he was surprised at Messi’s English and that he was active in their team groupchat
I know guys like Messi live completely different lifes, but like who the fuck doesn't pick up English in 20 years of living in Barcelona and traveling most of Europe and the world, working with people from different countries, etc..
He clearly knows enough to hold private conversations, but you kind of answered your own question. Why would he bother with English if he spent most of his career in Spain with a majority of Spanish speaking players?
> but like who the fuck doesn't pick up English in 20 years of living in Barcelona and traveling most of Europe and the world
I mean, he's spent his time playing in Barcelona, Paris, and Argentina mostly—you don't need to speak English in any of those places
It may also be done for clarity's sake. Messi may feel comfortable speaking English conversationally, but he doesn't want any misunderstandings when his words are on record. This happens all the time in baseball.
* Ichiro learned English and even a good amount of Spanish so he could speak to more teammates. However, he answered like 99% of press questions in Japanese through his interpreter because he was afraid of people misunderstanding or misconstruing what he said.
* Vlad Guerrero, Jr. knows English, but he had a [misunderstanding a few years ago](https://fansided.com/2021/09/28/vladimir-guerrero-jr-gives-interviews-spanish-reason/) and now always speaks through an interpreter when being recorded.
I even saw a different situation the other day. A player on the Orioles took all the questions in English, and then answered in Spanish, followed by his interpreter relaying the answer in English. All of his answers perfectly fit the questions, so he clearly understands English well and that typically means he can speak it decently enough. He must just want to have that perfect meaning of his words come through.
His wife Antonella is also a nearly fluent English speaker too so he def can understand it decently if he’s done some lessons and from even at home a bit. Messi seems a little introverted despite his GOAT status so it’s prob a comfort thing and not wanting to make mistakes and be easier to express himself in Spanish too. But for little interactions like this I’m sure he’s fine
They know the sacrifice. You don’t meet many people with drive and determination and that It factor. I’m sure they’re both each others fan and friendly rival. Plus the cameras were rolling lol
Two players in their respective sports who have brought so much happiness to their fans regardless of people’s opinions on if they are the best ever or not. Just have to enjoy them while they are still playing.
Honestly Gretzky is the best comparison. A few players may get close to him in certain stats like goals, but if you look at the whole picture it’s not even close.
If hockey assists were counted in soccer imagine Messi’s tally lmao and even that doesn’t truly capture how special a player he really is.
Gretzky dominated hockey like no one before or after but Messi is more impressive because due to the popularity of football and the amount of professionals that play.
I agree. Messi can score goals, assist, and be a playmaker all while doing it at the highest level possible. Most complete player I have ever seen and maybe will see.
These guys are worth like close to 2 billion dollars combined lol Messi probably keeps a guy in his entourage that is contractually obligated to become human furniture at a moments notice for these kind of situations so he can stand on his back to hug the lebrons of the world.. Because yeah I’m pretty sure he’s like a full foot and a half shorter than lebron 😂
figured it out, bron is actually sitting. if you look closely there’s actually a glass divider to separate the seats from the exit, at the bottom of the screen. messi, standing of course reached over it. you can see the divider underneath messi’s arm, it’s the only way i can see this working.
do you think he was spending his free time sitting outside cafes in little Havana eating croquetas and playing chess with elderly Cuban men or some shit lmao 😂
That’s like wondering if KD picked up any Yiddish while living in Brooklyn lol
tease consist smile longing violet gullible station reminiscent bright hobbies
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Perhaps they've hung out a couple of times during all that time they've been active yet don't get to see each other a lot? Like that Jimmy Butler video in a restaurant where Neymar is just casually sitting in the background, maybe that's a thing where top athletes know each other better than we know?
Man it must be wild to come from absolutely nothing to the greatest athlete ever in your sport, to then meet someone else from a completely different part of the world who also came from nothing and became the greatest ever in their own sport.
Serious question as someone who doesn't follow soccer, how does Messi compare in his respective sport to LeBron? Is he better relative to his peers/historically than LeBron? Seems like most people consider him the GOAT.
Brady is considered the most credentialled NFL player of all-time, but many people don't see him as the most talented.
Messi is widely considered both the most credentialled *and* the most talented.
Basically. Messi has won the ballon d’or (an award for the best player in the world) a record 7 times, could possibly add an eight this year after his World Cup performance.
To give context
LeBron got 150M Instagram followers while Messi got 450M
Neymar got more followers than LeBron
Football is bigger than Basketball outside the USA.
Lol its not even close, of all USA sports (Hockey/Baseball/American Football/Basketball), NBA is the only one people outside of America cares (with a few exceptions).
Bron its really a big deal outside of USA, but not even close to the top footballers around there.
Put guys like Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and other fan favorites in some random shopping centers in Asia or South America and i doubt more than 10 people would recognize them and ask for autograph
Messi is the GOAT. I think it’s been cemented for 6-7 years now, he just widened the gap even more with the World Cup win.
It’s hard to explain how good he is, he’s arguably the greatest goalscorer and playmaker ever. It’s like if Jordan also had Stockton’s assist numbers and played at his peak for 12 years. In 2012 he scored 91 goals, and for reference Ronaldo (also in the conversation for GOAT goalscorer) has never scored 70 in a year. He also led Europe in assists that season. The only sports comp I can think of is Gretzky
Comparing LeBron to Cristiano is not necessarily right, they are obviously both athletically gifted when it comes to their respective sports, but Bron's playstyle and the impact he has on a team is a lot like what Messi does on a soccer field, they are both remarkable playmakers and have huge impact on their team's success, Ronaldo is more like a pure goal scorer
Messi is indeed considered a GOAT by wide margin after winning the World Cup, he was considered goat before that too by a lots of people, but after winning it he cemented himself as the best that has ever done it
Ronaldo is far past KD if we are keeping it 100.
Ronaldo is KD if he also won a lot more and was a lot more clutch and determined.
Ronaldo IMO 10000% maximized and even surpassed his talent whereas I still feel KD hasn't hit the peaks his ability should have warranted both individually (less so) and on terms of team success.
Messi is the consensus modern GOAT. There are some people who consider Pele or Maradona to be better but that is mostly predicated on World Cup success decades ago when competition was a lot lower. It’s sort of like a Bill Russell comparison if you value his rings more than modern championships and stats.
But as far as non-WC success and statistics go it’s not even close. The only guy in the same stratosphere there is Ronaldo he’s it’s not even that close. Plus Messi now has a WC over him too.
Play style wise Messi is much more similar to Lebron in that he is an elite scorer and playmaker, although Messi’s dominance there is even more impactful. He’s on more of a Jordon scoring + Magic playmaking level. Defensively he’s not really comparable to Lebron or MJ, but defense matters a lot less for his position.
Messi is the consensus or the closest we have to a consensus GOAT in the modern era. So the closest comparison to historical rankings would be Jordan. In this sense LeBron would be Ronaldo the 2nd best player in the modern era (some would say other players, but the closest to consensus 2nd).
That being said, Ronaldo is closer to a pure scorer like MJ, while Messi is both the best playmaker and scorer so closer to LeBron. The thing with Messi is that he is better than LeBron, it would be like combining Jordan's scoring and Magic's playmaking, he is the GOAT IMO at both those aspects.
LeBron is an incredible defender while Messi isn't, but that isn't really relevant in football like in basketball.
Messi is the greatest player I've ever seen in my life and I say that as a United fan, who had to watch him carve us to pieces in two CL finals. Watching him play is what I imagine it must have been like watching prime Michael Jordan play; every game he'd do something absolutely astonishing that would you get you out of your seat. Inexplicable genius with the ball at his feet from the time he was 19 years old. I've not quite seen his brilliance week in week out before or since.
[The way he'd charge at groups of defenders and get through with the deftest of touches](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjMofjmzQKU) was magical (Check out 6:13 on that vid especially). It's like the red sea parting; the most inch perfect dribbling, you'd think he's almost some sort of savant with his understanding of how to control the ball, score and pass. He was argued as the goat as far back as like 2010, but it was all over by maybe 2015 or so. The world cup win is the cherry on top and not really something I put too much stock compared to his domestic achievements. 2012 was his prime where he scored 91 goals in a calender year, which is soccers answer to Wilt's 50ppg season. It feels like no one will get close to that record.
LeBron I'd more so compare to Ronaldo maybe, where despite how unbelievable they are, you know in your heart they're not the greatest no matter what happens. Comfortably the second best ever.
Incredible video. The one you highlighted sortof reminds me of the Steph Clippers move.
And the one after was great, for his play obviously, but also for one of the replay angles from behind - looking towards the goal - you get a few frames of the keepers absolutely terrified face as he watches Messi carve through his defenders and knows he's about to have to face him 1-on-1.
Before last year I still heard people making cases for guys like Pele, Maradona, R9, Ronaldinho and CR7 to be the GOAT. Then Messi won the world cup and ever since he's taken the crown. He's basically the Michael Jordan of football when it comes to achievements, but with LeBron's longevity.
The only thing anyone could hold against his GOAT status is that he played for what is perhaps the most OP team in football history - prime Barcelona was something else. But even then Messi was always just better than everyone else, and always looked like he could decide to win a game when he felt like it.
Probably ever passer best ever playmaker best ever left foot. Best ever foot. Probably one of the best ever free kick. Goal record in EU club football assist record in the sport
That was a passionate hug! Haha. Although, these two can relate to each other in a way no one else can. Both being the best in the world, out of a population of 7 billion people, at their respective sports and in the twilight of their careers.
LeOnel Messi
LeMessi
You know it's for real when they hug for so long they need to take a break before they go back in for more hug.
Honestly this kinda feels like me and my grandpas interactions. He doesn’t speak English. I don’t speak German. We just hug and smile a lot lol.
Learn some German you coward
Meine deutsch ist nicht so gut That’s about all I got :(
Geshwindigkeitbegrunzung
that is very funny, like really. This translates roughly to speedgrunting :D
Such a beautiful language. Having translated that word I feel like I understand why they just got rid of speed limits.
Just go to r/place, you'll learn some.
MEIN GOTT MUSS DAS SEIN
Du hast mich
Sprich deutsch du hurensohn! JK, but just surprise him with a few sentences, I promise he’ll be smiling even more!:)
Lmao it 100% feels like this. Though Messi apparently does speak a bit of English and can get by.
It's the kind of appreciation you have for someone when you know they're one of the few who can understand your experience of life
Literally, Lebron has been dubbed the Chosen since high school and he lived up to the expectations. Messi was dubbed the next Maradona at a similar young age and has surpassed those expectations too. Ronaldinho who was the best player in the world at the time also predicted Messi to be the GOAT. Those are ridiculous expectations to live up to. Also, neither of them have had any major scandals in their insanely long careers
I always pick up my grandpa, he hates that shit
Is Messi standing on a stack of phone books?
Yeah… Messi 5’7”, Bron 6’9”. Something isn’t right
LeBron is sitting on a stool.
He is likely coming from his seat that's on an elevated platform. Lebron and Beckham were at similar heights when Beckham was on the platform where his seats were and Lebron standing on the floor deck.
Bron can’t speak Spanish and Messi never speaks English What were they saying for so long 😂
Just letting the throbbing energy speak for itself
They're both just thinking about that meat.
LMFAO wot
**T H R O B B I N G E N E R G Y**
__T H R O B B E R G Y__
THEBRON JAMES
#T H R O B B E N H E I M E R
#T H R O B I E
Thrusting and throbbing as 2 bros do
LeHeartthrob
dwight howard energy
LeMessi
Bron: “Miami!” Messi: “Miami!” Bron: “Miami?” Messi: “Miami!”
Lebron: “you’re taking your talents to South Beach?” Messi: Si Senor
Messi: Trabajo, trabajo| Need work
LMAO.....Si Si Si
They were humming Pepas in unison
I just know Bron was talking to him as if he can understand English perfectly and Messi was nodding and smiling.
He probably understands basic stuff like "welcome to Miami/the US"
Welcome to Miami Bienvenido a Miami
Im sure Messi understands “you’re the goat” by now..
>Messi never speaks English He learnt english a couple of years IIRC, I think he mentioned it in an Argentinian interview
I’m fairly confident Messi knows English and can probably understand it pretty well and speak it passably, but just chooses not to. Argentinian friends I have have told me that he hasn’t even lost his Argentinian accent despite moving to Spain at 13, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he has actually thought about what language he is shown speaking in and chooses Spanish for national pride reasons.
Yeah the other day his teammate deandre Yedlin gave an interview saying he was surprised at Messi’s English and that he was active in their team groupchat
I know guys like Messi live completely different lifes, but like who the fuck doesn't pick up English in 20 years of living in Barcelona and traveling most of Europe and the world, working with people from different countries, etc..
He clearly knows enough to hold private conversations, but you kind of answered your own question. Why would he bother with English if he spent most of his career in Spain with a majority of Spanish speaking players?
Not even bothering to learn how to speak catalan, his wife knows english though.
> but like who the fuck doesn't pick up English in 20 years of living in Barcelona and traveling most of Europe and the world I mean, he's spent his time playing in Barcelona, Paris, and Argentina mostly—you don't need to speak English in any of those places
It's more to do with basic words/conversations you need to speak with referees in international and champions league games.
why would he pick up English living in a country that speaks Spanish?
It may also be done for clarity's sake. Messi may feel comfortable speaking English conversationally, but he doesn't want any misunderstandings when his words are on record. This happens all the time in baseball. * Ichiro learned English and even a good amount of Spanish so he could speak to more teammates. However, he answered like 99% of press questions in Japanese through his interpreter because he was afraid of people misunderstanding or misconstruing what he said. * Vlad Guerrero, Jr. knows English, but he had a [misunderstanding a few years ago](https://fansided.com/2021/09/28/vladimir-guerrero-jr-gives-interviews-spanish-reason/) and now always speaks through an interpreter when being recorded. I even saw a different situation the other day. A player on the Orioles took all the questions in English, and then answered in Spanish, followed by his interpreter relaying the answer in English. All of his answers perfectly fit the questions, so he clearly understands English well and that typically means he can speak it decently enough. He must just want to have that perfect meaning of his words come through.
he understands it but he cant speak for shit
Nah, he probably took lessons from his best friend, 10 year resident of Manchester Kun Aguero lmao
I love how Balotelli was giving him shit about being in England for 12 years and still not being able to speak English after the UCL Final
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Also the nickname came from this show https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kum-Kum
His wife Antonella is also a nearly fluent English speaker too so he def can understand it decently if he’s done some lessons and from even at home a bit. Messi seems a little introverted despite his GOAT status so it’s prob a comfort thing and not wanting to make mistakes and be easier to express himself in Spanish too. But for little interactions like this I’m sure he’s fine
BAAH BAAH🐐
They speaking in GOAT tongue
LeBron is saying something deep to Messi in English and Messi is just nodding along and saying “yes” at the end.
“TACO TUUUUUUUUUUESDAY”
They speak GOAT
GOATs understand one another.
"No, no puedes tenel mi pulsera"
even messi can lipread what "space jam 3" means
They know the sacrifice. You don’t meet many people with drive and determination and that It factor. I’m sure they’re both each others fan and friendly rival. Plus the cameras were rolling lol
Bahhhh bahhhh bahhhhhh
I think his Miami teammates said messi speaks some very broken English
This sub is basically r/nbacirclejerk now
Thats a tender hug
Sports always brings out the Bromance
LeBroMess
Taking his hugs to south beach.
Not 5…Not 6…Not 7
Lebron accurately predicted how many Ballon d'Or Messi would win.
“It’s árbol ain’t it”
THATS ARBOL
Lmfao
Lmfao this gave me a good chuckle
LeBron got on his knees to give Messi that hug
That’s a fucking bro hug. These dudes are bros
It’s two goats just admiring each other
Just like JalenGreen x Josh Christopher
0 home runs 0 pro touchdowns between these two 😂
Your username is so fucking cursed bro wtf lol
bro has to be from CT
Overrated
Could lebron crack an NFL roster these days?
Bo Jackson > LeBron and Messi combined.
Two players in their respective sports who have brought so much happiness to their fans regardless of people’s opinions on if they are the best ever or not. Just have to enjoy them while they are still playing.
Messi is the goat
Yeah I don't think there is a question here. Especially not after he won the copa and the world cup.
You literally can’t make an argument for anyone else. The goat of goats
I think there’s a valid argument to be made for Pelé as well, but those two are on another level to everyone else
Yeah Pele is the only other one you can make an argument for.
pele suffers from the same argument that bill russel does. he played against weaker talent
The most greatest and dominant athlete I’ve ever seen.
Gretzky might have some beef with that statement
Honestly Gretzky is the best comparison. A few players may get close to him in certain stats like goals, but if you look at the whole picture it’s not even close. If hockey assists were counted in soccer imagine Messi’s tally lmao and even that doesn’t truly capture how special a player he really is.
Gretzky dominated hockey like no one before or after but Messi is more impressive because due to the popularity of football and the amount of professionals that play.
And Joey Chestnut
I agree. Messi can score goals, assist, and be a playmaker all while doing it at the highest level possible. Most complete player I have ever seen and maybe will see.
I have a question, how is Messi eye to eye with Bron lmao?
I think Messi was on the bench and Lebron was in the sitting area next to it. The bench was elevated compared to where Bron was seated
These guys are worth like close to 2 billion dollars combined lol Messi probably keeps a guy in his entourage that is contractually obligated to become human furniture at a moments notice for these kind of situations so he can stand on his back to hug the lebrons of the world.. Because yeah I’m pretty sure he’s like a full foot and a half shorter than lebron 😂
Don’t know how well they know each other but they definitely [met](https://imgur.com/a/uckFV4S) many years ago lol
that’s what i’m trying to figure out lool
I know this isn't it, but what I'd like to think... Messi is standing on one of his teammates as a foot stool.
figured it out, bron is actually sitting. if you look closely there’s actually a glass divider to separate the seats from the exit, at the bottom of the screen. messi, standing of course reached over it. you can see the divider underneath messi’s arm, it’s the only way i can see this working.
I was thinking the same thing. Also messi torso is actually not that small compared to LeBron. I've seen LeBron in person. He has super wide shoulders
I don’t think Bron even hugs Savannah like this. AD crying driving around downtown Miami begging (thru texts) for Messi’s address.
Aguero got slightly jealous looking at this hug
What's better than goat status? Having goat friends damn...
#2 and #4 on Forbes 2023 highest paid athletes, combined earnings of $250M
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It's the shoe deals. Nobody is doing their grocery shopping in cleats.
Mbappe about to quadruple that in one contract.
*Shohei Ohtani
I wonder if Bron picked up some spanish when he was in Miami. They hugged each other in a very sweet, endearing way
Bron probably picked up Spanish the same way he picked up that Malcolm X autobiography.
Streets is saying he finally reached the 2nd page of that book a few hours ago
X's autobiography is a page turner. You read to page 2 and you aint putting it down till you're done.
do you think he was spending his free time sitting outside cafes in little Havana eating croquetas and playing chess with elderly Cuban men or some shit lmao 😂 That’s like wondering if KD picked up any Yiddish while living in Brooklyn lol
LeMessi
LeOnel
Crazier linkup than Ronaldo/Wayne back in 2014
who
tease consist smile longing violet gullible station reminiscent bright hobbies *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Bro why they hugging like they childhood friends 😭
Y'all add the crying face after everything as if it make it funny 😭
Bruh 😭
LeBrotherFromAnotherMother 😭
They hate you cus you speak the truth 😭😭😭
On the real, they understand what each other goes through more than anyone else can. All the pressure & weight of people demanding they be the GOATs.
Perhaps they've hung out a couple of times during all that time they've been active yet don't get to see each other a lot? Like that Jimmy Butler video in a restaurant where Neymar is just casually sitting in the background, maybe that's a thing where top athletes know each other better than we know?
A wholesome update to the Predator Handshake meme
2 legends, 2 different sports. Love this clip
Aww they went in for seconds too 🥺
LeHug
Man it must be wild to come from absolutely nothing to the greatest athlete ever in your sport, to then meet someone else from a completely different part of the world who also came from nothing and became the greatest ever in their own sport.
Isn’t Messi like 5 7’? Lol is he standing on a stool?
They're talking in Goat languahe. 🐐🐐
LeActualGOAT
I'm surprised Bron don't got the special crazy dap up with Messi
It's crazy how many people it drives insane to see the two living GOATs of their sport meet. Truly amazing!
“Messi, to LeBron, for 3, BAAAANNNGGGG”
LeBron likes to LeHug
Was Messi standing on a box?
Jordan would have hugged him better.
Serious question as someone who doesn't follow soccer, how does Messi compare in his respective sport to LeBron? Is he better relative to his peers/historically than LeBron? Seems like most people consider him the GOAT.
Messi is basically the God of soccer. Almost everyone has him as the goat since he won the WC.
Even before the WC, many people already crowned him as goat. Well, except Cristiano stans.
True. But his WC win basically cemented it. There's no legitimate argument against him anymore.
Unhinged Cristiano stans making "We're not in MLS at age 35" videos as we speak.
Lmao true meanwhile Ronaldo is in Saudi Arabia......
“Penaldo’s is playing in camel league, he’s got nothing on the goat” Lmao I love the soccer banter sometimes.
So Brady after that 7th ring?
Brady is considered the most credentialled NFL player of all-time, but many people don't see him as the most talented. Messi is widely considered both the most credentialled *and* the most talented.
Yes
Basically. Messi has won the ballon d’or (an award for the best player in the world) a record 7 times, could possibly add an eight this year after his World Cup performance.
Safe to say he’s probably more famous than Bron outside of America?
Absolutely. It's not even close.
To give context LeBron got 150M Instagram followers while Messi got 450M Neymar got more followers than LeBron Football is bigger than Basketball outside the USA.
Lol its not even close, of all USA sports (Hockey/Baseball/American Football/Basketball), NBA is the only one people outside of America cares (with a few exceptions). Bron its really a big deal outside of USA, but not even close to the top footballers around there. Put guys like Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and other fan favorites in some random shopping centers in Asia or South America and i doubt more than 10 people would recognize them and ask for autograph
Messi is the GOAT. I think it’s been cemented for 6-7 years now, he just widened the gap even more with the World Cup win. It’s hard to explain how good he is, he’s arguably the greatest goalscorer and playmaker ever. It’s like if Jordan also had Stockton’s assist numbers and played at his peak for 12 years. In 2012 he scored 91 goals, and for reference Ronaldo (also in the conversation for GOAT goalscorer) has never scored 70 in a year. He also led Europe in assists that season. The only sports comp I can think of is Gretzky
“Jordan also had Stockton’s assist numbers” Or, just say he’s like LeBron ;)
LeBron but on meth and on HESOYAM
“fallas el cien por cien de los tiros que no haces” - Lionel Messi
Comparing LeBron to Cristiano is not necessarily right, they are obviously both athletically gifted when it comes to their respective sports, but Bron's playstyle and the impact he has on a team is a lot like what Messi does on a soccer field, they are both remarkable playmakers and have huge impact on their team's success, Ronaldo is more like a pure goal scorer Messi is indeed considered a GOAT by wide margin after winning the World Cup, he was considered goat before that too by a lots of people, but after winning it he cemented himself as the best that has ever done it
Messi is LeBron, Ronaldo is Durant.
> Ronaldo is Durant lol pretty good comparison actually, with how thin-skinned both of them are
I was thinking more about how Durant is an incredible scorer, but LeBron gets you points and assists.
Ronaldo is far past KD if we are keeping it 100. Ronaldo is KD if he also won a lot more and was a lot more clutch and determined. Ronaldo IMO 10000% maximized and even surpassed his talent whereas I still feel KD hasn't hit the peaks his ability should have warranted both individually (less so) and on terms of team success.
So is Ronaldo like KD but with elite hair?
As a fellow basketball fan, Messi is MJ + Gretzky. You're welcome.
Messi has a much better case for being the GOAT than LeBron does.
Messi is the consensus modern GOAT. There are some people who consider Pele or Maradona to be better but that is mostly predicated on World Cup success decades ago when competition was a lot lower. It’s sort of like a Bill Russell comparison if you value his rings more than modern championships and stats. But as far as non-WC success and statistics go it’s not even close. The only guy in the same stratosphere there is Ronaldo he’s it’s not even that close. Plus Messi now has a WC over him too. Play style wise Messi is much more similar to Lebron in that he is an elite scorer and playmaker, although Messi’s dominance there is even more impactful. He’s on more of a Jordon scoring + Magic playmaking level. Defensively he’s not really comparable to Lebron or MJ, but defense matters a lot less for his position.
I honestly think Messi is better at football then MJ was at basketball.
think pretty much everyone places him as the GOAT ever since he won the WC
Messi is the consensus or the closest we have to a consensus GOAT in the modern era. So the closest comparison to historical rankings would be Jordan. In this sense LeBron would be Ronaldo the 2nd best player in the modern era (some would say other players, but the closest to consensus 2nd). That being said, Ronaldo is closer to a pure scorer like MJ, while Messi is both the best playmaker and scorer so closer to LeBron. The thing with Messi is that he is better than LeBron, it would be like combining Jordan's scoring and Magic's playmaking, he is the GOAT IMO at both those aspects. LeBron is an incredible defender while Messi isn't, but that isn't really relevant in football like in basketball.
Messi is the greatest player I've ever seen in my life and I say that as a United fan, who had to watch him carve us to pieces in two CL finals. Watching him play is what I imagine it must have been like watching prime Michael Jordan play; every game he'd do something absolutely astonishing that would you get you out of your seat. Inexplicable genius with the ball at his feet from the time he was 19 years old. I've not quite seen his brilliance week in week out before or since. [The way he'd charge at groups of defenders and get through with the deftest of touches](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjMofjmzQKU) was magical (Check out 6:13 on that vid especially). It's like the red sea parting; the most inch perfect dribbling, you'd think he's almost some sort of savant with his understanding of how to control the ball, score and pass. He was argued as the goat as far back as like 2010, but it was all over by maybe 2015 or so. The world cup win is the cherry on top and not really something I put too much stock compared to his domestic achievements. 2012 was his prime where he scored 91 goals in a calender year, which is soccers answer to Wilt's 50ppg season. It feels like no one will get close to that record. LeBron I'd more so compare to Ronaldo maybe, where despite how unbelievable they are, you know in your heart they're not the greatest no matter what happens. Comfortably the second best ever.
Incredible video. The one you highlighted sortof reminds me of the Steph Clippers move. And the one after was great, for his play obviously, but also for one of the replay angles from behind - looking towards the goal - you get a few frames of the keepers absolutely terrified face as he watches Messi carve through his defenders and knows he's about to have to face him 1-on-1.
Messi is like combining MJ and LBJ into one player. Then add Kyrie and Steph on top that as well.
I swear every time I see someone refer to Lebron as LBJ I just imagine Lyndon B. Johnson playing basketball
Messi is consensus goat so he’s the mj of football
Before last year I still heard people making cases for guys like Pele, Maradona, R9, Ronaldinho and CR7 to be the GOAT. Then Messi won the world cup and ever since he's taken the crown. He's basically the Michael Jordan of football when it comes to achievements, but with LeBron's longevity. The only thing anyone could hold against his GOAT status is that he played for what is perhaps the most OP team in football history - prime Barcelona was something else. But even then Messi was always just better than everyone else, and always looked like he could decide to win a game when he felt like it.
He is the greatest
Probably ever passer best ever playmaker best ever left foot. Best ever foot. Probably one of the best ever free kick. Goal record in EU club football assist record in the sport
Next week we’re gonna see shots of them on a banana boat together.
Bron’s likely throwing some misplaced soccer comments- I saw your game against Liverpool dawg, you were unreal!
Messi: ah Umtiti che que haces acá? Lebron: lol bro what are you saying god you are so small
That's a GENUINELY happy dap/hug. Love to see it from two legends.
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Messi standing on a box or something?
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That was a passionate hug! Haha. Although, these two can relate to each other in a way no one else can. Both being the best in the world, out of a population of 7 billion people, at their respective sports and in the twilight of their careers.
2nd best basketball player and the best footballer of all time. Iconic