The identity of the greatest soccer player of all time had been a matter of debate for many years. Fans and soccer pundits had a variety of perspectives on this but the differences had become more pronounced in recent years. Meanwhile, an English soccer legend expressed his esteem for the preeminent soccer player, choosing not to include the Portuguese icon in his selection.

Gary Lineker was the first Englishman to play for Barcelona since World War II. The soccer icon respected the admiration of the fans for the illustrious players in the game, but he had his own opinion of the greatest of all time in soccer. Lineker favored two Argentinian icons as his picks for the best, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. The fans were shocked by the English legend, but he expressed his reasons for such regard in an interview.

Lineker snubs Cristiano Ronaldo in the greatest player debate

Gary Lineker made 102 appearances in Barcelona, scoring 42 goals in his lustrous career. The former English star played against some of the best soccer players of his era but believes that Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi had consistently exceeded expectations and performed at an extraordinary level. Although he acknowledged Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the iconic players but believed the World Cup 2022 winner had a more dominant impact on every aspect of the game than CR7.

Lineker remarked to Goal, “He does just things that ordinary mortals can’t do. I have played obviously top-level football and played with some great players and there were a lot of great players like Cruyff and Zidane and Platini. Even to this day the greats, the two Ronaldos, Ronaldinho. I could go on forever, but then above them, there are two other players and they both other are Argentinians”.

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In the past, Gary Lineker had long admired Lionel Messi for his incredible career achievements and milestones, both in international and club soccer. The English legend believed that Cristiano Ronaldo had been a prolific goal scorer, but La Pulga was more of a complete player, with his dribbling skills and his ability to create chances for his teammates.

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He had admired both the icons of this decade for their consistency in terms of scoring goals and winning trophies. However, Linekar had a particular preference for the Argentine when it came to their overall performance in the game of soccer.

Gary Lineker gives Lionel Messi his highest regards

The former Barcelona legend remarked Messi’s performance to be superior to that of any other mere mortal in the sport of soccer. Gary Lineker believed that La Pulga illuminated the field with his transcendent performances. The 62-year-old sports broadcaster felt elated to watch the player at the greatest stage throughout the decades.

Lineker added “pure soccer truth” when he said, “He just a joy to watch. Every single game I watch he plays even on his quit days he will do three or four things in one game that I don’t think I would have done once in my whole career”.

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Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are making their presence known by scoring goals and performing at their best in such a later stage of their career after a dominating rivalry in European soccer. What did you feel about Gary Lineker’s remarks about the soccer icons in his interview? Comment below and let us know.

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