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Greatest of all time or second best to Cristiano Ronaldo? It doesn’t matter. Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thierry Henry are tired of debating where Lionel Messi, their former FC Barcelona team-mate, ranks among the greatest footballers of all time.
“For me it has to stop,” Henry said during FOX’s pregame show ahead of Argentina’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Algeria on Tuesday. “We will see Cristiano tomorrow. I don’t think we should separate the big ones. We should celebrate them.”
Ibrahimović and Henry wouldn’t declare Messi the GOAT, but they haven’t seen or played with anyone like him.
“I don’t think we will get another Messi because he is special,” Ibrahimović said. “He’s a natural. It’s like the game was built for him. Everything he touches turns to gold. And he has a team ready to die for him. Winning another World Cup won’t change his status as the greatest. It’s just another trophy in the trophy room.”
Lionel Messi has been a world champion for 20 years (Getty).
Messi and Argentina will participate in the 2026 World Cup to defend their crown. In the 2022 World Cup, Messi had seven goals and three assists while earning the Golden Boot. He scored twice in the final to lift Argentina over France. He ranks first in goals and assists for Argentina’s national team. There is not much more he can do to cement his status in the history books. Indeed, his presence at the 2026 World Cup is a luxury as many thought he would go on to win in 2022.
Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thierry Henry played for FC Barcelona in the 2009-10 season. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
All the more reason to just sit back and drink in your talent.
“We enjoy him,” Ibrahimović said. “We played with him. And as long as he plays, we’ll enjoy him.”
While Ibrahimović, Henry and Messi only shared the pitch at Barcelona for one season, the trio certainly share an infinite amount of respect for each other, especially for the one who still buckles cloisters.
