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Toni Kroos backtracks on ‘forbidden’ rule to claim ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo’s longtime rival Lionel Messi as the ‘GOAT’ as midfielder insists Argentina’s talisman ‘deserves’ the praise after the triumph in the World Cup.
Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has retracted his claims about the greatest football of all time after Argentina’s victory in the World Cup final.
Kroos, who played for many years with Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain, had previously suggested that the Portuguese star was the best to have stepped onto the soccer field.
But, after Lionel Messi’s feat against France on Sunday, the German midfielder has recently admitted that his opinion has now changed to favor the Argentine.
Lionel Messi ended his career long wait to win the World Cup after victory over France
Toni Kroos admitted that he previously thought Cristiano Ronaldo (R) was the best of all time
According to mirror, Kroos had previously stated: ‘From my playing days, it’s Cristiano Ronaldo (the greatest player of all time). Of course, I am biased because he made a decisive contribution for us to win many titles.
“It was exciting and impressive to play alongside Ronaldo. We were not only teammates but also neighbors in the dressing room and neighbors in privacy.
‘He lived right next to me. Seeing how perfectionist he is was impressive. That is why it is forbidden for me to name Messi (as the best player of all time)’.
Kroos spent four years playing at the Santiago Bernabeu under Ronaldo before the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left Spain to join Italian giants Juventus.
Kroos spent four years playing with Ronaldo during their time together at Real Madrid.
Despite his strong ties to the Portuguese striker, Kroos has apparently had a change of heart after the recent World Cup final.
He admitted to MagentaTV: ‘He (Messi) deserves it. In terms of individual performances in a championship, I have never seen a footballer play as regularly as this guy.
“You have to take into account that he has never played in clubs that I think are very fun, something that shows that I mean it.”
PSG striker Lionel Messi ended his career long wait to lift football’s most prestigious trophy after Argentina emerged victorious against France in Sunday’s final after a 4-2 shootout win. of penalties.
Messi scored a brace in the World Cup final to help inspire his team to victory in Qatar
The 35-year-old scored a brace in the match, taking a first-half penalty and an extra-time effort, before scoring his own in the ensuing shootout.
A hat-trick from Frenchman Kylian Mbappé in a 3-3 draw proved futile as Messi and Argentina claimed victory in the competition for the first time since 1986.
Meanwhile, his former teammate Ronaldo was left out of the competition in the quarterfinals after the loss to Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo could not prevent the fall of Portugal in the quarterfinals of the World Cup