For years, the debate over who holds the title of the greatest soccer player of all time has raged on. While many of the sport’s most influential figures have weighed in, including stars like Rivaldo, Marco van Basten, and Thierry Henry, the opinion of Francesco Totti, one of Italy’s finest, recently added to the discussion.
The likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi are often at the center of this global conversation. But for Totti, the man who spent his entire career at AS Roma, the answer is clear.
Born in 1976, Totti was old enough to witness the brilliance of Diego Maradona firsthand while also being a front-row spectator to Messi’s legendary career. In his view, Maradona epitomizes the essence of soccer.
While Totti admires Messi, he was unequivocal during a December 2022 interview on the Twitch channel BepiTv: “Is Maradona better than Messi? We’re talking about two extraterrestrials. Diego is soccer. Leo is the best in the world right now, but he’s a level below Diego. It’s hard to find the right words to describe them. These players are simply in a category of their own, ” Totti admitted.
Ruud Gullit of AC Milan and Diego Maradona of Napoli in action. Allsport UK /Allsport
Totti chooses between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
In today’s era, the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry—spurred by their time at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively—has fans constantly debating who the true GOAT is. Totti has offered his thoughts on this as well.
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After Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or in 2017, Totti jokingly said from Dubai, “Messi is number one—but don’t tell Cristiano!” He also commented on the massive fee paid by PSG for Neymar Jr.
“Soccer has changed a lot from my time to now,” Totti remarked. “I prefer the romantic style of football from the past. Today, it’s all business. There are players like Ronaldo and Neymar, but Neymar is an example: paying €250 million for one player is just unreal.”
