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Arsenal defender William Saliba has firmly placed his stamp on the GOAT debate, naming none other than Lionel Messi and former Chelsea forward Samuel Eto’o as the greatest of all time.
Messi, currently the most decorated footballer in the history of the sport, is widely regarded as the greatest player to play the game.The Argentine icon holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or wins (eight) of any player and also boasts the most goal contributions in football history.
In a short video posted on Arsenal’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Saliba named Lionel Messi as the most ‘GOATED’ player in terms of skill. He also named the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the best footballer in history alongside Samuel Eto’o, who made 35 appearances during his stint at Chelsea.
Interestingly, the two players that Saliba named as his GOATs were previously teammates at Barcelona. While Messi rose through the ranks at Barca, Eto’o was the first among the two to play in the club’s senior team. They played together between 2005 and 2009, shared the pitch 105 times, and combined for 23 goals.
Apart from sharing the locker room, they also played as opponents. In the 2009/10 Champions League campaign, Eto'o by then at Inter Milan, met Messi's Barcelona in both the group stages and the semi-finals. Their first meeting ended in a goalless stalemate, with Barcelona winning the second group stage game. While both teams won at home in the semis, it was Eto'o and Inter that progressed to the next stage with a 3-2 aggregate win.
Notably, earlier this year, Saliba picked Lionel Messi over his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo when asked to choose between the two.
“I never thought I would hear myself say that” – When Lionel Messi said Barcelona players hated Chelsea more than Real Madrid
Lionel Messi once revealed that he and his Barcelona teammates used to hate Chelsea more than their domestic rivals, Real Madrid. While Messi is yet to play in the Premier League, he has played against the Blues several times in the UEFA Champions League.
Back in 2005, the Blues produced a memorable 4-2 win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge to go through to the Champions League quarter-finals after the first leg ended 2-1 in the Catalans’ favor. At the time, a 17-year-old Lionel Messi wasn’t included in the squad for either leg.
The two sides met again in the last 16 of the next season's Champions League. Before the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Messi said his teammates hated Chelsea more than Real Madrid and would have preferred to face another English team than the west London club. He told News of the World in 2006 (via Sky Sports):
"There are players here who hate Chelsea more than Real Madrid. I never thought I would hear myself say that. I also never thought I would see something worse than the Boca and River Plate rivalry or Brazil v Argentina - but this is. We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea."
Barcelona won the 2005/06 meetings against the Blues, progressing to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win.
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About the author
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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