Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona are often considered as the greatest football players to ever grace the sport’s history. However, the title of the greatest player of all time is still a topic of debate.
Messi, who is currently leading Argentina to success in the 2022 World Cup for the first time since Maradona and has won his eighth Ballon d’Or, has gained even more support in the debate, while others add Cristiano Ronaldo as a contender.
“I will add a third person, and that is Pele. These are the three individuals I have been following. All three of them are great in their own expertise. Currently, Messi is doing very well,” stated Pope Francis in an interview with Rai1. The Holy Father went on to discuss Maradona’s battle with addiction by expressing his sympathy towards the late footballer’s unfortunate life. “Maradona was a man who failed in life, it’s a pity. He fell, and those around him didn’t help him. Maradona came to see me in my first year as Pope. It’s a sad ending to his life. It’s ironic how many athletes end up in a bad position, even in boxing. It’s really hard to understand.”
Regarding Pele, Pope Francis added:
“Of these three individuals, the greatest gentleman is Pele. He has a very big heart. I spoke with him, I met him on a plane in Buenos Aires, and he is a person with great humanity.”
:quality(80)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/lanacionar/SBDECGNRNZE2HGS5MOZ3D3VOT4.JPG)
After securing the Ballon d’Or 2023, Messi is likely to hit the field at the end of this month when Argentina faces off against Uruguay and Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers. It’s expected that El Pulga will take an extended break before returning to the upcoming MLS season next year.
