Lionel Messi made a bold claim when talking about the best player England have ever produced, naming a 114-cap star as the “greatest”, ahead of Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and a storied list of strikers.
Messi continues to light up the global game
The great Argentine may now be 38 years of age but he’s continuing to perform remarkably well, standing the test of time compared to some of his peers.
He scored twice during Inter Miami’s recent 4-0 victory over Atalanta United in MLS, taking his tally across his last ten outings to nine goals and seven assists. He notably picked up a hat-trick of assists during their 4-1 win over New England Revolution at the beginning of October.
He also starred for Argentina in October’s international break. Although he did not score, Argentina defeated Puerto Rico 6-0.
The Inter Miami star is yet to decide whether he will go to the 2026 World Cup, but if he is able to do so, Argentina should be in a strong position to go all the way once again, having blitzed their way through qualification.
England, on the other hand, officially qualified for the tournament in America with a 5-0 win over Latvia. The Three Lions will be hoping 2026 is finally the year when football ‘comes home’, but talisman Harry Kane will need to be at his best.
England have a great recent record of producing top strikers, with Rooney scoring 53 goals in 120 international appearances, but Messi has suggested a different Liverpool-born player is the best-ever.
Speaking after Steven Gerrard’s retirement in 2016, Messi picked Gerrard as England’s greatest player of all time.
“Personally, I think Steven Gerrard is England’s greatest ever player. I wish him a happy retirement.”
Gerrard without doubt among England's best-ever players
It is arguably a bold claim to suggest Gerrard is the Three Lions’ greatest-ever player, but he is certainly in the conversation, given the instrumental role the 114-cap star played in Liverpool competing for major honours until the mid 2010s.
Of course, it will probably haunt the 45-year-old that he never managed to win the Premier League title, but the former Liverpool captain certainly wasn’t unsuccessful, winning 11 trophies during his time with his boyhood club, including the FA Cup in 2006.
Most famously, the Whiston-born midfielder instigated the comeback in arguably the greatest final in Champions League history, with the Reds coming from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties in 2005.
Not only did the Liverpool legend always step up when required, scoring a number of crucial goals in finals, but he has also received praise for the impact he had on his teammates, with Gerard Houllier once saying: “He is a natural born leader, a very inspirational leader. He is somebody you want to follow.”