Nigeria football legend Jay-Jay Okocha has weighed in on the long-running Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate, backing the Argentine superstar for one key reason.
Okocha, who was born in Enugu and played a major role in some of Nigeria’s most memorable football achievements, including the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the 1996 Olympic gold medal, made his preference known during an appearance on The Obi One Podcast hosted by former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy.
Asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo, Okocha gave a straightforward answer, saying: “Messi, Messi. Ronaldo is a special player, but he is for me a goal scorer. He can score 10 million goals. He is a goal scorer. It’s like (Erling) Haaland. Haaland is a goal scorer.”
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers star then explained that Messi’s natural ability and creativity were the major factors behind his choice.
“But Messi, Messi is on another planet. Messi is an art. Messi was born to play football. He’ll get ill if he doesn’t play football. He’s a genius. I mean, you have to give it to him,” he said.
Okocha acknowledged the extraordinary consistency and achievements of both players but argued that their qualities are different.
According to him, Ronaldo’s success has been driven largely by his exceptional work ethic, while Messi possesses a rare natural talent that allows him to play the game effortlessly.
“But when it comes to natural gifted player, someone that is born to play football, someone that plays with ease, that doens’t force anything, like it’s his playground, is Messi,” the Nigerian legend added.
Okocha names player he considers better than himself
Okocha was also asked whether any player he regarded as a fellow “maverick” possessed greater skills than him.
The former Super Eagles star overlooked several renowned players, including Gheorghe Hagi, Guti, Roberto Baggio, Nwankwo Kanu, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.
However, he singled out his former teammate Ronaldinho as the player who stood above him in terms of raw dribbling ability and ball control.
“Maybe because I had the privilege to play with him, to really see his talent and appreciate it,” Okocha stated.
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