<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/barcelona" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FC Barcelona</a> have faced challenging times in recent years, marked by significant financial troubles during the presidencies of Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell. One example of the club’s cost-cutting measures was the decision to sign <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/kevin-prince-boateng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kevin-Prince Boateng</a> on loan as a backup for veteran striker Luis Suarez, an economical alternative at the time. In an interview, Kevin-Prince Boateng shared his unforgettable experience training alongside Lionel Messi.



“Training with Messi left me speechless. I had always said that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best in the world, but Messi is something else. He’s not normal. While training with him, I felt inadequate for the first time in my career. He was doing incredible things. I felt like saying, I’m done, I’m going to quit playing!,” stated Kevin-Prince Boateng.



Although Kevin-Prince Boateng is a devoted admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo, he openly acknowledged <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lionel Messi</a>’s greatness. He even revealed that training alongside Messi made him feel unworthy to play at that level, to the point where he briefly considered retirement due to Messi’s unmatched brilliance.



Boateng joined Barcelona as an older, average player, far from the standout performances of his early career. During his short stint with the Spanish club, he featured in just four games, failing to register any goals or assists, making his impact on the field negligible. Kevin-Prince Boateng showcased immense talent during his time at AC Milan, emerging as a promising player with 18 goals and 16 assists.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="559" src="https://media.bolavip.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/28190013/boateng-1024x559-1024x559.webp" alt="boateng" class="wp-image-323660" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure></div><figcaption>Kevin Prince Boateng of FC Barcelona looks on during the Copa del Quarter Final match between Sevilla FC and FC Barcelona at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on January 23, 2019 in Seville, Spain. </figcaption></figure>



Kevin-Prince Boateng dynamic performances at AC Milan made him a standout in Serie A and earned him recognition as a rising star. However, Boateng’s career took a downturn due to off-field controversies and disciplinary issues. These challenges led to him being sidelined by several clubs, preventing him from maintaining the high level of performance he once displayed at Milan.


 <div class="wp_fsn_relatedlinks" use="ALSO" link="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/former-fc-barcelona-thierry-henry-weighs-in-on-the-messi-vs-cristiano-ronaldo-debate" image="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.bolavip.com%2Fwebp%2Fen%2Ffull%2FBUS_20250126_BUS_321698_thierry-henry-1.webp&amp;width=200&amp;height=200" excerpt="Thierry Henry, one of France&apos;s greatest players and a Premier League legend, thrived at FC Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi. In a recent interview, Henry shared heartfelt insights about his experiences with Messi, offering words that resonated deeply with fans and showcased his admiration for the Argentine star.
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<h2>Why FC Barcelona decided to sign Kevin-Prince Boateng?</h2>



Kevin-Prince Boateng joined FC Barcelona in the 2019 winter transfer window as a 32-year-old veteran, having scored just five goals and provided one assist for Sassuolo in the Italian league. His arrival at Barcelona was largely driven by <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/luis-suarez" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luis Suarez</a>’s repeated requests for rest, as the star striker had been playing every match without a proper backup.



Faced with a delicate financial situation, Barcelona could only afford to bring in a player on loan for the remainder of the season. Boateng was seen as a low-cost solution to fill the much-needed substitute striker role, providing depth in case of emergencies. However, his six-month tenure highlighted the club’s budgetary constraints more than his impact on the field.


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Former Barcelona player reveals what it was like training with Lionel Messi

Not Cristiano Ronaldo: Premier League Hall of Famer Ashley Cole names the toughest player he ever faced

FC Barcelona rising star Lamine Yamal earns high praise from Premier League standout

Former FC Barcelona player shares his experience training with Lionel Messi - Bolavip US

Former FC Barcelona player shares his experience training with Lionel Messi

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For years, the biggest question in world soccer was whether <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi">Lionel Messi</a> or <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> was the best player on the planet. Especially when the Argentine star shone for <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/barcelona">Barcelona</a> while the Portuguese played for Real Madrid.



Even now, when both are spending their sunset years outside Europe, they continue to be subject of comparisons. With Messi in MLS and Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, people now debate <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/mls-vs-saudi-league-messi-ronaldo-and-the-10-most-expensive-players-in-each-league-20230726-BUS-35920.html">which league is better</a>.



Either way, the question on who was the better player used to be so popular that even other colleagues had to answer it. A former Barca player, in fact, claims the Catalan club forced him to lie by saying Messi was the No. 1 when he thought that tag belonged to Ronaldo.



<h2>Kevin-Prince Boateng says he always thought Ronaldo, not Messi, was the world’s best</h2>



In an appearance on Rio Ferdinand’s VIBE with FIVE podcast, Kevin-Prince Boateng claimed Barcelona made him lie after joining the club by claiming Messi was the best player on Earth.



“I remember that when I arrived in Barcelona they immediately asked me who the best player in the world was. I had to say it was Lionel Messi, I lied. It was one of the biggest lies of my life,” he said, via the Daily Mail. “Normally I always tell the truth, but I lied because it was the only way to wear the Barcelona shirt. I always supported Real Madrid when I was a teenager. I love Cristiano Ronaldo. But they told me I had to say that, otherwise I wouldn’t play.”



The former Ghana international joined the Spanish side in January 2019 on loan from Sassuolo and made only five appearances for the Blaugrana, celebrating the LaLiga title in his short stint with the club.


 <div class="wp_fsn_relatedlinks" use="ALSO" link="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/ronaldo-says-saudi-pro-league-is-better-than-mls-even-with-messi-which-one-is-more-valuable-20230720-BUS-32554.html" image="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.bolavip.com%2Fwebp%2Fen%2Ffull%2FBUS_20230720_BUS_32554_Ronaldo-and-Messi-1.webp&amp;width=200&amp;height=200" excerpt="Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the Saudi Pro League is better than MLS, where Lionel Messi will play from now on. Here, we&apos;ll compare each league&apos;s market value.
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<h2>Who has more Ballon d’Ors, Messi or Ronaldo?</h2>



Lionel Messi holds the record for being the most successful player in Ballon d’Or history, with seven prizes to his name. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, won the award on five occasions.

The former Barcelona player who 'lied' by saying Messi, not Ronaldo, was the world's best

Former Barcelona player says he lied by saying the world's best was Messi, not Ronaldo - Bolavip US

Former Barcelona player says he had to lie and say the world's best was Messi, not Ronaldo

Kevin-Prince Boateng has had an amazing <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/the-world-cup-experienced-national-teams-that-will-not-be-in-qatar-2022-20220202-0019.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soccer</a> career, one which has seen him play for 14 clubs and the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/aubameyang-gabon-teammates-diagnosed-with-cardiac-lesions-at-afcon-after-recovering-from-covid-20220114-0038.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ghana national team</a>. Boateng has also been active on life off the pitch as he is a big music fan and enjoys choreography and singing.
When <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/usmnt-brenden-aaronsons-value-souring-amid-interest-from-leeds-united-and-ac-milan-20220221-0007.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AC Milan</a> won the Serie A title in 2010/11 he famously performed Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk in front of 88,000 fans at the San Siro. Now Boateng is ready to try his luck at television and he is joining forces with a Hollywood heavyweight to do it, Sylvester Stallone.
According to reports Sylvester Stallone and Boateng have known each other for some time and are interested in doing a project that will see both of them star in some capacity to do a story based on the life of the former World Cup star.
<h2>What is Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sylvester Stallone working on?</h2>
<div style="text-align:center">
<figure class="image"> <img loading="lazy" data-height="412" data-width="740" data-size="w:740,h:412" hspace="5" vspace="5" src="https://bolavip.com/__export/1646234365003/sites/bolavip/img/2022/03/02/sylvester_stallone_crop1646234364595.jpg_22069893.jpg" width="740" height="412"><figcaption> Sylvester Stallone (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) </figcaption></figure>
</div>
According to Boateng the project would involve both and be based on Boateng’s life but not focused on soccer. “We are considering Stallone as the narrator and that we both take on small roles. We want to show the pain and wounds it takes to be successful”, Boateng stated in an interview.
The former Ghana international and the actor have “a friendship (that) has developed with him, and I am working on a TV series that is inspired by my life, but not about football”, Boateng stated.
Stallone is no stranger with working with big time soccer stars he starred alongside Pele in the famous soccer movie, Escape to Victory in 1981, which also included soccer stars, Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Werner Roth, and Hallvar Thoresen.
 
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Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sylvester Stallone are set to work on acting project together

Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sylvester Stallone are set to work on acting project together - Bolavip US

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