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Lionel Messi has named Argentina legend Diego Maradona as his GOAT in football. He named Basketball legend Michael Jordon on the same level, while also revealing his admiration for Tennis legend Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
Speaking to NBC, Messi said that Maradona was better than everyone, adding that the former Napoli and Boca Juniors forward was an idol growing up. He said (via All About Argentina):
"For us, Maradona was the greatest idol and a source of admiration for everything he represented. Even though I was little and didn’t see much of him play live, Diego transcended everything."
Talking about his best picks in other sports, Messi quickly named Jordan as the top favorite and said:
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"Speaking of another sport, I think it was the same with Jordan. I also admire tennis players like Federer, Rafa, and Djokovic. I think the three of them made the competition much bigger than it used to be. Competing for so long to be the best and being so close to each other made everything much more incredible."
He named Lebron James and Steph Curry as his current favorites in Basketball and added:
"I’m surely forgetting many athletes, but to highlight a few, I’d stick with them. From Basketball, LeBron and Steph Curry...they’re players I’ve admired a lot and I think they’ve read the game deeply and each of them elevates their sport in their own way."
Lionel Messi has penned a new deal at Inter Miami, keeping him at the club until 2028. He has been at the club since 2023, when he ran down his contract at PSG and moved to the MLS.
Lionel Messi comments on winning the FIFA World Cup in 2022
In his interview with NBC, Lionel Messi admitted that winning the FIFA World Cup was his dream. He feels lucky to have won every trophy in his career and said (via All About Argentina):
“The World Cup was the dream of my life. It was the only thing I was missing professionally. I’ve been lucky enough to win everything, both individually and collectively. I believe that’s every player’s dream. When you ask any player what his dream is, he’ll say it’s to become world champion.”
Lionel Messi is yet to decide if he will be playing for Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The defending champions have qualified for the finals, which are set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
