Chelsea legend Mikel John Obi has expressed his opinion that Lionel Messi surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo as a footballer, stating that he doesn’t understand the comparisons between the two.
Mikel contends that Messi’s talent is unparalleled and believes the Argentine football icon is in a league of his own.
Reflecting on the challenges of playing against Messi, he mentioned that the game plan to contend with the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner was to resort to physical tactics such as ‘kicking him’.
“For me, Messi, Messi was the guy. The training the whole week was about Messi. The game plan was just to kick him. You have to have two or three players with him. You can’t defend 1v1 against Messi; it’s impossible, and you’re dead.
“And the way they move the ball around, the way they play, the sole purpose of getting the ball to him… so difficult, the way he touches the ball, the way he moves it, the way he passes it,” he said on the Vibe with Five podcast.
“I know the comparison is there but… I played against both and Messi was very close to me when we played against them. For me, I’m not going to say mile but because of what Cristiano has done as well.
“But for me, I really don’t see the comparison in any way. Because I think Messi is from a different planet, and I just think he is that good.”
The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stands out as the longest-running competition between two players vying for the title of the greatest of their generation. The debate extends to determining who among the two can be acclaimed as the Greatest Player of All Time (GOAT).