Brazilian football legend Ronaldo de Lima declared Lionel Messi the undisputed greatest player of all time after Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria at the 2026 World Cup pushed him past Ronaldo’s own tournament goal tally.
Lionel Messi’s first World Cup hat-trick has settled an old debate for one football legend — and he’s not mincing words about it. Brazilian icon Ronaldo de Lima says it’s time the world stopped arguing and simply accepted that Messi is the greatest player to ever play the game.
The Argentine captain produced a stunning three-goal display in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at the 2026 World Cup, a performance that pushed his career tournament tally past Ronaldo’s own record. For Ronaldo, the moment was proof enough.
Speaking to Portuguese outlet A Bola, as reported by Daily Post Nigeria, the former Brazil striker insisted there’s no longer any room for argument over who deserves the GOAT title, saying Messi is simply “the best player of all time.” He added that the Argentine keeps delivering every season and on football’s biggest stage, calling Messi’s latest World Cup heroics an unforgettable, historic night that will live on in the record books for good.
Messi’s hat-trick wasn’t just symbolic — it also made him the joint-highest scorer in men’s World Cup history, level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, while breaking Ronaldo’s own record as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. At 38, Messi shows no signs of slowing down as Argentina begin their bid to become only the third nation to defend a World Cup title.
For now, the GOAT debate Ronaldo wanted to end refuses to die — but Messi just made his case a little stronger.
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