Brazilian legend Ronaldo has paid a classy tribute to Lionel Messi after his World Cup final triumph yesterday in Qatar.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward was already widely considered to be the greatest footballer of all time, but finally getting his hands on this illustrious prize will surely cement that now, and end all debate about how the Argentine compares with fellow-great Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi is simply on another level, and another former World Cup winner heaped praise on the 35-year-old in a classy tweet, simply saying that he’s so good he transcends rivalries like the fierce and historic one between Brazil and Argentina…
O futebol deste cara joga pra escanteio qualquer rivalidade. Vi muito brasileiro – e gente do mundo inteiro – torcendo pelo Messi nesta final eletrizante. Uma despedida à altura do gênio que, muito além de craque da Copa, capitaneou uma era.
Parabéns, Messi! pic.twitter.com/djwuKJzexa
— Ronaldo Nazário (@Ronaldo) December 18, 2022
Ronaldo himself was the star of the 2002 World Cup, scoring a brace in the final win over Germany that year.
Until not so long ago, the former Brazil forward would have been up there in the debate about the greatest players of all time, but there is surely no question now that Messi is at the very top of that list.