Is Messi the greatest player in history?.. Marcelo speaks out

World 06 March 2025 at 17:25

Mohamed Rek

News Editor

Retired Brazilian international Marcelo da Silva, a Real Madrid legend, refused to label Lionel Messi as the greatest football player in history.

As a guest on the show La Revuelta on a Brazilian channel, the former left-back was asked the following question: does he consider Messi the best player of all time?

Marcelo reveals what he really thinks about Messi

Instead of answering directly, Marcelo preferred to put things in perspective: "It's hard to choose just one player as the best of all time. What about the legends who came before him? Maradona, Pelé, Di Stéfano, Cruyff..."

Nevertheless, the former Madridista did not fail to praise the extraordinary qualities of the Argentine: "Yes, I respect him immensely. He's an incredible player... He was blindingly fast. Sometimes, I didn't even see him pass by me! The problem was, I tried to tackle him, but I couldn't."

Marcelo also spoke about his relationships with former FC Barcelona players: "I have contacts with Gerard Piqué. I often talk to him; he's a very sincere and authentic person, and I like that kind of personality. I also have immense respect for Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi Hernández. The Guardiola era with these players was a real challenge for us. We tried to keep the ball, but it was almost mission impossible."

After an exceptional career, Marcelo officially announced his retirement on Thursday, February 6. This marks the end of a journey rich in success, crowned with 30 club titles, including 25 won with Real Madrid.