Van Basten: 'I don't understand that football says Ronaldo is more than Messi'
"Ronaldo is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi know nothing about football, or they do it out of malice," Van Basten told Corriere dello Sport on June 15.
Ronaldo and Messi have compared each other goals, the record for personal and collective titles for more than 10 years. They took turns dominating the Golden Ball since 2008, until Luka Modric was first in the election of France Football magazine in 2018. After that, Messi won the Golden Ball 2019 and 2021, thereby becoming the first player Seven times to win this noble individual award.
According to Van Basten, Messi has been a football genius since he was a kid, he's the most unique talent he can't copycat, or reproduce the same player. "The Messi models appear after 50 or 100," you say.
Although, this Dutch soccer legend didn't put Messi on top of the greatest three players in history, or even the best players, according to you, Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff are the best soccer players of all time. "When I was young, I wanted to look like Cruyff, he was my friend and I remember Cruyff, Pele and Maradona couldn't believe in Van Basten."
According to Van Basten, the great Messi, but Maradona has a stronger personality, he profiles: "Messi wasn't the one who put himself in front of every war." Van Basten made a point of the other top players, including Ronaldo, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.
When I was in the game, Van Basten was the best money in the generation. You write 152 tables in 172 for Ajax and 125 desk in 201 in the AC Milan, taking the three European Cup. With Dutch recruits, Van Basten owned 24 at 58 and Euro 1988.
Van Basten also wins three Golden Balls, by Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini. These three former names only lost the record when the football reaches of Messi (seven titles) and Ronaldo. Van Basten might have had a bigger career if he hadn't retired at 30. Due to persistent trauma, he broke up with football just three years after winning the last ball of 192.
