Unquestionably, Argentina’s Lionel Messi is the GOAT of modern football. The term “GOAT” stands for “Greatest of All Time,” and Messi is undoubtedly the best player ever to play the game of football in the contemporary age.
The phrase “GOAT” is well known among football fans, and by extension, to sports fans in the modern period. Today, it is used to denote someone or something being the greatest or best of all time and may be found in practically every sphere of popular culture.
Even though the acronym GOAT contains the phrase “all time,” which is used to imply perpetuity and finality, its usage is informal and not absolute. Numerous football fans, journalists, professional players, and managers all have different ideas about who the game’s greatest player (GOAT) is. Still, there is general agreement that one individual is the GOAT of the current period.
Other footballers that could challenge the GOAT
- Cristiano Ronaldo
Along with Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is unquestionably the best football player of his generation and one of the game’s most important goal-scorers. He has five UEFA Champions League victories with Real Madrid and a long history of being a key player on the field. After passing Iran’s Ali Daei last year, Cristiano is currently the player with the most goals scored in both the history of the Champions League and in international soccer.
In addition, Ronaldo helped Portugal win their first-ever international trophy in 2016 by guiding them to victories at the European Championships and the UEFA Nations League.
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times, the second-most in history (behind Messi), and he has scored goals in every FIFA World Cup he has participated in since 2006. Despite being in the latter stages of his career, Ronaldo continues to be one of the most well-known people in the world and a massive global brand. He made history with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
- Zinedine Zidane
In 1998, when France defeated Brazil to win the FIFA World Cup on home soil, Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest midfielders of all time, achieved the apex of his career with two goals. Zidane is one of the game’s true masters of the modern period. He can score goals, assist teammates, dribble and control the ball in tight spaces, and motivate his side.
He also enjoyed successful stints with Real Madrid and Juventus, two European powerhouses. Zidane enjoyed a very successful career as a manager after his playing days were over. He achieved history by guiding Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League victories.
- Ronaldinho
The most entertaining player in modern football is Ronaldinho. He was the equivalent of Harry Houdini’s magic tricks in football, playing with a broad smile. Ronaldinho might do the unthinkable on the field. The Brazilian dazzled and mesmerized the globe every time he was on the field, fooling numerous defenders, scoring thunderous free kicks, and pulling off elastics and ribbons.
In addition, Ronaldinho helped Barcelona regain its prominence by guiding them to their first UEFA Champions League victory of the twenty-first century in 2006. He and Brazil also won the FIFA World Cup in 2002, and in 2006, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year.
- Xavi
Xavi is recognized as one of the greatest Europeans to play football and one of the best midfielders the world of football has ever seen. Every manager’s favorite player, Xavi, was integral to Vicente del Bosque’s world-beating Spain team and the legendary Barcelona club led by Pep Guardiola.
Xavi led Spain to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and four Champions League victories with Barcelona. He also twice led Spain to the European Championship. In the next phase of his career, Xavi manages Barcelona after developing a remarkable bond with Andres Iniesta.
- Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta was the heartbeat and the flair of the golden Barcelona and Spain teams if Xavi was their brains. When he scored the game-winning goal against the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final in South Africa, he cemented Spain’s position as the sport’s greatest success.
It’s terrible that Iniesta played football in the same generation as Messi and Ronaldo and was unfortunate never to win a Ballon d’Or despite winning every competition and trophy. However, it would be difficult to duplicate his legacy for Barcelona and Spain.
