Zlatan Ibrahimovic names Lionel Messi as THIRD best player of all time – & snubs Cristiano Ronaldo
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was recently asked to name the three best players of all time and there was no room for Cristiano Ronaldo on his list.
The 44-year-old doesn’t shy away from the big talking points and his list of the best players of all time has got people talking.
During a recent interview captured by 443, these were the three players that Ibrahimovic named as the best of all time.
3. Lionel Messi
Ibrahimovic often speaks about Messi in glowing terms and while the Argentine forward did make his list, he was only good enough for the third spot.
“For the third position, I’m going to say Messi,” Ibrahimovic said.
“He’s won… not sure if there’s anything left for him to win.”
Of course, Zlatan did get the opportunity to play alongside Messi in 2009-10 at Barcelona.
While the Swedish striker didn’t have his best spell in Spain, he still appreciates that he got to play alongside Messi.
“I think Messi is one of a kind,” he said in a separate interview in 2016.
“I don’t know if we will see another player do the things that he does because he has his style and to become that player, I don’t think it’s possible.
“I had the luck to see him every day, I said before, it’s like playing PlayStation: You give the ball to the guy and you start to go through every player and that’s who Messi is.”
In total, they played 42 games alongside each other and combined for 10 goals during that time.
2. Diego Maradona
“I’ll give the second position to Maradona,” said Ibrahimovic.
“For me, he was a real one. He did everything with his heart, with his emotions.”
As someone who grew up in the 1980s, it’s no surprise that Maradona made an impression on Zlatan as a youngster.
The swagger and personality that he played with will no doubt have inspired the Swedish striker, who himself is known for his larger-than-life personality.
1. Ronaldo Nazario
While Cristiano didn’t crack Zlatan’s top three, there was space for another Ronaldo.
“In my opinion, Ronaldo, the phenomenon, the Brazilian, he was football,” Zlatan said.
“When you watch certain players, the day after you try to imitate them.”
It’s been well documented that Ibrahimovic regards R9 as the best of all time, having previously spoken about the Brazilian forward in glowing terms.
“I always tell everyone who plays with me: Ronaldo is football,” he said during a separate interview.
“That Ronaldo is football. The way he moved, the way he did those stepovers, those mazy runs. In my view, he is the best player in history, no doubt about it.”
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