sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Drogba Claims Lionel Messi Isn't The Greatest Player Ever

Drogba Claims Lionel Messi Isn't The Greatest Player Ever

In the debate about football's GOAT the former Chelsea striker doesn't think it's Barca's superstar.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Oh, don't we just love it when former players give their two cents on current football affairs, not least because their opinion is usually completely and utterly wrong.

This time former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has been speaking about where global superstar Lionel Messi ranks among the all-time football greats. You know, that old chestnut.

The Blues legend told AFP, via the Mirror, "Messi could stop now and he would already have done a lot for football",

"To win a World Cup would make him even more legendary. He's an extraordinary player! He's still not at the heights of Maradona and Pele, but he's not far away."

Of course Heskey isn't the best in the world, he's no Emile Heskey:

Ah, you were doing so well, Didier. Why did you have to go and say that and get all the Messi-heads triggered?

It's a classic argument, though. The World Cup still seems to be the golden ticket to players being named as GOAT for some people.

The competition, which runs every four years and only requires a team to play seven matches, is still somehow regarded as the major trophy for a player to win in order to prove their worth.

Does Messi need to win the World Cup to be considered the greatest? Image: PA
Does Messi need to win the World Cup to be considered the greatest? Image: PA

And it's, in Drogba's opinion, the reason why Messi is not on the same level as Pele or Maradona.

The counter to this argument is that the 30-year-old star has won countless European and domestic trophies with Barcelona, scoring over 600 professional goals for club and country - but are those competitions as revered as the World Cup?

Some people don't think so. Indeed, Pele has won several, Maradona was won one, and Messi has none so far, despite dragging Argentina to the final in the 2014 World Cup, where they lost 1-0 to Germany in extra time.

Which one is better? Image: PA Images
Which one is better? Image: PA Images

There's always time to put this right at this summer's World Cup in Russia, of course -and maybe that'll change Drogba's mind.

We're sure this GOAT argument will rage on for years to come but does not having a World Cup really matter that much?

Let us know what you think.

Words by Jacque Talbot

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Russia 2018, Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Pele, Argentina, World Cup