Yes. In a word. I have long believed that it was Zinedine Zidane who deserved that accolade, but Messi for me is the now the best ever for several reasons. The main one is his age: he's 24. Let repeat that: 24. He's already rivalling the all time greats and he's barely half way through his career.
I have absolutely no doubt that by the time he's thirty, Messi will be better than Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and Zidane combined. He's a phenomenon. It's as simple as that. For him to achieved what he has in the period of time he did it in is beyond real. I could see him finishing his career with about 10 Ballon d'Ors to his name, and many more accolades.
Secondly, the ball just sticks to his foot. He never loses control. It's as simple as that. Like Maradona but 50 times better. He almost always beats his man and his low centre of gravity means it's incredibly hard to push him over.
Thirdly, and also very important: he's a playmaker. This is something he has developed immensely in his time at Barca, and it's something that Maradona didn't have. The latter was a scorer and dribbler, not a passer. Messi, amazingly, is both.
And that's what really sets him apart. Whereas the players that came before him fit into one category: Zidane and Cruyff playmakers, Pele and Maradona goal scorers, Messi fits into both and is better at both than anyone ever before.
It's an honour to live at the time he is playing. Thank you, Leo.
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