Former Argentina keeper declares Ronaldo as football’s best over Messi – ‘Where did Messi play?’

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

Gatti, who represented Argentina in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, expressed some critical views 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 made easier by the favourable conditions in which he played. The former goalkeeper highlighted that Messi was part of a highly skilled team where everything revolved around him. 

He pointed out that Messi rarely faced physical challenges or adversity on the pitch during his time with the Catalan giants, which allowed 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 for everything, where nobody kicked him, where they had a great team that played for him,” he said as 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 remarked that Messi’s current stint in the United States, playing in a less demanding league, reflects a decline in his competitiveness. 

“He can make it, but he will be one less. Today he is already one less. He is playing country football in the United States .”

Comparison with Ronaldo

Hugo Orlando Gatti says Ronaldo is better than Messi. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

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

“Cristiano is a phenomenon and he’s better than Messi. He is better because he does not have the conditions of Messi, but he played in the best teams in the world.” 

While he acknowledged that Ronaldo may not possess the same natural abilities as Messi, he emphasised that Ronaldo’s career saw him thrive in multiple top-tier teams across different leagues. 

“It’s braver to play there. Everyone plays there. They run at 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 remaining at Barcelona for most of his career.

“At Barça and in the Argentine national team. Messi didn’t ask himself to play in other teams, or in other countries. And he had opportunities, didn’t he?” he added.

Downplaying Messi’s achievements

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

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

“Maradona was kicked to death. Messi wasn’t hit. And Diego was hit, he fell down and got up again. If you touch Messi, he stays there,” he added.