Former Real Madrid Midfielder Coins Lionel Messi As 'Sport's Greatest' Ahead Of Jordan, Maradona And Ronaldo

Former Real Madrid player Robert Prosinecki says Lionel Messi is a "different" soccer player and overshadows other sporting icons, like the Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, Brazilian hero Ronaldo Nazário and even the American basketball superstar Michael Jordan, as the “best” athlete in the world.

Prosinecki said in an interview with Stats Perform News that Messi, who has won a record of six Ballon d’Or awards, has ruled the world of soccer for over a decade with close to 700 career goals. This puts his career on top of the pile when the career of Chicago Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Jordan is taken into account, AS.com reported.

“It is different, basketball and football. But Messi is surely for me the best. He is a player who has made differences for many years in Barcelona. He has won everything he could win. He scored many goals and assisted many times too. He plays different football to the others,” Prosinecki said.

The likes of Maradona and Brazil’s Ronaldo have won the FIFA World Cup and that separates them from Messi, who has not won anything significant with Argentina so far. While a lot of critics and fans criticize Messi for not been able to replicate his club success on the international level, Prosinecki has insisted that it should not take away anything from Messi.

“Maybe some people will say Maradona, Ronaldo... I don't know. There have been amazing players. They are from two different eras. For me, he [Messi] is the best one,” added Prosinecki, who was teammates with Ronaldo briefly at Camp Nou.

Prosinecki is currently managing Kayserispor, a soccer club that plays in Turkey's Süper Lig. The player-turned-manager has claimed that Messi and Brazil's Ronaldo have proven themselves capable and ready to take on opponent teams single-handedly.

“They are different from others. Ronaldo is surely one of the best. Some people would say Cristiano Ronaldo, but [Brazilian Ronaldo] didn't just play at Barcelona. He also had some amazing seasons at Inter. He used to beat rivals almost himself alone. Incredible. They are players who make differences. At Real Madrid too. Where didn't he perform? For sure he was a great player. However, if I have to say one, for me the best is Leo Messi,” former Croatia midfielder further explained.