The former Argentine goalkeeper declares Ronaldo as the best in football above Messi – ‘Where did Messi play?’

Former Boca Juniors goalkeeper Hugo Orlando Gatti, known as ‘El Loco’, shared his opinions on Lionel Messi, sparking debate among football fans.

Gatti, who represented Argentina at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, expressed some critical opinions about the Barcelona legend’s career, particularly in comparison to other football greats.

Criticism of Messi

According to Gatti, Messi’s time at Barcelona was facilitated by the favorable conditions in which he played. The former goalkeeper highlighted that Messi was part of a highly talented team where everything revolved around him.

He noted that Messi rarely faced physical challenges or adversity on the field during his time with the Catalan giants, allowing him to excel in a relatively comfortable environment.

“I don’t dislike Messi, but he played an easy game. I saw him in a Barcelona where they whistled at him for everything, where no one kicked him, where they had a great team that played for him,” He said quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

When discussing Messi’s prospects for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Gatti cast doubt on the player’s impact at that stage of his career.

He stressed that Messi’s current time in the United States, playing in a less demanding league, reflects a decline in his competitiveness.

“He can achieve it, but it will be one less. Today is one less. “He is playing American football in the United States.”

Comparison with Ronaldo

Gatti went on to make a bold comparison between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He described Ronaldo as a phenomenon who triumphed in more challenging circumstances.

“Cristiano is a phenomenon and he is better than Messi. “It’s better because he doesn’t have Messi’s conditions, but he played for the best teams in the world.”

While he acknowledged that Ronaldo may not possess the same natural abilities as Messi, he emphasized that Ronaldo’s career saw him flourish in multiple top teams in different leagues.

“It’s braver to play there. Everyone plays there. They run towards you, they kill you. Where did Messi play?

Gatti argued that playing in such environments, where players are constantly under pressure and face tougher competition, is a true test of greatness, one that Messi avoided by staying at Barcelona for most of his career.

“At Barça and in the Argentine team. Messi did not set out to play for other teams or in other countries. And he had opportunities, right? he added.

Minimizing Messi’s achievements

The former goalkeeper also downplayed Messi’s achievements in winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “They didn’t give him a single kick.”

He stated that Messi was not subjected to the same physical treatment on the field as players like Diego Maradona, who suffered constant fouls but still managed to perform at the highest level.

“They kicked Maradona to death. Messi was not hit. And Diego was hit, fell and got back up. “If you touch Messi, he stays there.” he added.