According to Joe Cole, PSG striker Lionel Messi is now "above" Al Nassr great Cristiano Ronaldo, with just one player in history standing close to him.
Ronaldo and Messi have frequently been placed against one another in the so-called "GOAT debate" to identify the greatest player in sports history.
Messi's spectacular professional career saw him eternally engrave his name in the history books at Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 titles.
At the Camp Nou, the 35-year-old star won a record 10 La Liga crowns, 4 Champions Leagues, and 7 Copa del Reys.
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Messi has also calmed his sharpest critics on the international level with Argentina's victories in the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup.
In an incredible penalty shootout success over 2018 champions France, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner led his beloved nation to the World Cup championship in Qatar 2022.
Despite established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Messi has showed no desire to end his international or club playing career.
The Barca veteran appeared for PSG in their 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the last-16 Champions League encounter at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
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Cole spoke on a BT Sport panel before of PSG's Champions League loss to discuss the much contested issue of the GOAT of football.
The BT Sport analyst feels Messi is the greatest player of all time, with only Brazil icon Pele challenging him in the GOAT battle.
When questioned by BT Sport reporter Seema Jaswal if Messi had attained GOAT rank and if there was yet any space for a discussion, Cole said: There's always the argument because it's always gonna to concern what you believe.
[I believe what Lionel Messi has put to rest is the generational discussion, because he's gone and finished it now, he's done everything in the sport.]
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[I've never met a player like him, what he can do with the football, his talent, his character — everything,] he continued. And it's always a pleasure to see him.
[I believe he is the best player of all time. In that circumstance, Pele is the only one who can make a case.]
[I don't feel CR7 - Cristiano Ronaldo or R9 -Ronaldo Nazario or Diego Maradona can compete with him. He is presently standing next to Pele.]
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