Quite a few people were surprised last week after Leo Messi picked up a seventh golden ball in his career when he overtook Robert Lewandowski who was in the eyes of many as a favorite for the prestigious personal title.
A few days later, the flea turned up for an interview with France Football magazine and talked about, among other things, the comparisons to Diego Armando Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I have never seen myself as the greatest in history.
For me, being an actor who is considered one of the greatest of all time is far more than enough and than I dreamed.
"It does not matter if you are considered the biggest or not, it has never been my ambition," said the 34-year-old Argentine.
For being compared for many years to Diego Armando Maradona: “I never examined myself in relation to him.
I do not refer to anyone who does this even though there have been reviews that have bothered me in the past.
I had bad times in the Argentina national team because of it because there are reviews that bother me, but it stays in the locker room and does not go out, because that way it is the healthiest for us as a team.
If something annoys us, we take it out, our son. "
On the competition with the Nemesis - Cristiano Ronaldo: “I always want to improve my numbers and get better and not look at what others are doing.
Cristiano and I kept the competition in La Liga for years.
It was wonderful and it helped both of us grow and develop in our careers.
I want to be the best I can be and no better than anyone else. ”
Messi and Ronaldo during the period in Spain.
"Wants to be the best I can be", Photo: AP
On the parting from Barcelona last summer: "It always hurts, it's still hard for me to get used to it. Sometimes I still find myself angry, but I try to convince myself that there will be another chance later on."
Messi referred to the fact that his good friend Neymar offered him shirt number 10 when he arrived in Paris: "It was an extraordinary gesture, he wanted to give me the number even though it was his number, it just seemed fair that he would keep it. I was left with 30, also a number I like."
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