Sports

Is Messi World’s Greatest Footballer Ever?

Published

14 years ago

March 12, 2012

Last Wednesday’s game against Bayer Leverkusen was the first time Messi scored five goals in a game in his career. It is also the first time a player scored five goals in a Champions League game. He also has one quadruple (v Arsenal), one hat-trick (v Viktoria Plzen) and nine braces in the competition.

With 49 goals in 64 games, Messi is the fourth top scorer in the history of the Champions League (since 1992-93), behind Raul (71), Ruud van Nistelrooy (56) & Thierry Henry (50).

Messi has scored 12 goals this season in the Champions League, which equals the best total in a Champions League campaign (since 1992-93). The others to reach that tally were Van Nistelrooy (2002-03) & Messi himself (2010-11).

This season, Messi has scored twice as many goals as any other player in the Champions League, ahead of Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez with six.

Since his goal in the 2009 final, Messi has scored 33 goals in 30 Champions League starts. It had been a year since he last scored at the Nou Camp in the competition (3-1 v Arsenal, 8 March 2011).

Messi had seven shots against Leverkusen, six of them on target.

Messi scored his 49th Champions League goal at the age of 24 years, eight months & 13 days old. When reaching the same target, Raul was aged 27 years, four months and 27 days – while Van Nistelrooy and Henry were aged 30 and 31 respectively.

He has attracted several accolades from different quarters and the following are how the little genues from Argentina is being viewed by different people at different times.

“He is the best player in football’s history and we’ve never seen anyone like him”, Cesc Fabregas Spain & Barcelona

“He’s the best ever, there is no other like him. We’ll never see a player like him again. The throne belongs to him and only he will decide when he wants to relinquish it.” – Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.

“When Messi has scored 1,283 goals like me, when he’s won three World Cups, we’ll talk about it.” – Pele.

“When you play against such a player, then you always want his shirt.” – Bayer Leverkusen player Michal Kadlec, who was criticised by his coach for squabbling with a team-mate over who got to exchange shirts with the Argentine.

“He’s going to be one of the best footballers in the history of the sport.” Barcelona team-mate Xavi after Messi claimed his third Ballon d’Or.

“Do you remember the goal Maradona scored in the World Cup against England when he took on and beat half their team? Well, Leo used to score goals like that almost every game, even when he was only five years old.” – David Trevez, president of Grandoli FC, the first club where Messi played competitively.

“He was very small at the time of his discovery, but he was an excellent player already. Many players are in La Masia [Barcelona’s training facilities] every year, but I remember Leo as the one who loved football the most.” Barca’s former youth director and the man credited with discovering Messi, Josep Colomer.

“The best player in the world. Once he’s on the run, Messi is unstoppable.” – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, following Barca’s 4-1 demolition of Arsenal at the Nou Camp in 2010.

“He has everything to be the number one.” Brazil legend Carlos Alberto Torres.

“I believe if he carries on playing like he is he will become the number one in history.” – Argentine World Cup winner and former team-mate of Diego Maradona, Ossie Ardiles.

“Since he arrived at Barcelona at such a young age, we saw quickly that he had some very special qualities.” Barcelona academy coach Jose Ramon Alexanco.

“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football and his name is Messi.” Diego Maradona, speaking in 2006

WHO ARE HIS RIVALS FOR THE “GREATEST EVER” TAG?

Pele:

Brazilian Pele won three World Cups – 1958, 1962 and 1970 – and scored 77 goals in 91 appearances for his country. He was jointly awarded the Fifa’s Player of the Century in 1999 with Diego Maradona. He bagged 1,281 goals in 1,363 games for club and country before retiring in 1977.

Diego Maradona:

Diego Maradona was jointly awarded the honour of Fifa’s Player of the Century with Pele and earned 91 caps for his country, scoring 34 goals. Predominantly left-footed, the forward was a World Cup-winning captain in 1986. He retired in 1997, with 292 goals in 583 club and country appearances.

Johan Cruyff:

Dutch winger Johan Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974 – a record jointly held with Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Lionel Messi. The Netherlands never lost a match in the 33 games in which he scored. In total for clubs and country he slotted home 324 goals in 568 games before retiring in 1984, but never lifted the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo:

Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo is the most expensive player in football history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80m in 2009. Ronaldo, 27, won the Champions League in 2008 and already has 88 caps and 32 goals for his country, as well as 183 goals in 309 club appearances. The European Golden Shoe and Premier League Golden Boot winner is also the highest goalscorer in a season in Real Madrid’s history with 53 strikes.

George Best:

Northern Irishman George Best won the European Cup in 1968 with Manchester United, winning the European Footballer of the Year the same year. Best also grabbed two English league titles (1965, 1967). He won 37 caps for Northern Ireland, and scored 214 goals in 616 appearances before retiring in 1983.

Other candidates: Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina, Colombia & Spain), Eusebio (Portugal), Ferenc Puskas (Hungary), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany), Michel Platini (France), Ronaldo (Brazil), Zinedine Zidane (France) .

Sports

AllStars Club Renovates Tennis Court… Appeal to Stop Misuse

Published

1 week ago

December 12, 2025

The Tide

Port Harcourt AllStars Tennis Club, old Port Harcourt township, has renovated and commissioned its training court at Niger/Bende Street, No.5 field popularly known as Information centre, in Port Harcourt.

The court was officially declared opened by Commander Abdul Qadir Yumusa (rtd), President of Police Tennis Club, after it undergone total renovation.

Speaking at the occasion, the President of Port Harcourt AllStars Tennis Club, Engr. Ifiesimama Omineokuma, decried the intentional misused of the sports facilities which Rivers State Government built for the purpose of grassroots sports development.

According to him, the centre which accommodates two tennis courts and one volleyball court has become burial and wedding centres on weekly basis thereby obstructing sports activities.

“The Exco of the club normally renovate and maintain these facilities because most times we organise grassroots tennis programme for primary and secondary school children in the State.

“No doubt we have discovered some talents through our programmes but it is disheartened to note that most times when we come, we can’t access the tennis courts following wedding, burial programmes etc.

“Consequently, we are appealing to the appropriate authorities to regulate these activities on sporting facilities, as the club has taken the responsibility to maintain the facilities, hence we are equally using it to train”, Engr. Omineokuma said.

He advised members of the tennis club to conduct themselves very well anytime they come for training.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

New W.White Cup: GSS Elekahia Emerged Champions

Published

1 week ago

December 12, 2025

The Tide

Government Secondary School ( GSS) Elekahia has won the second edition of the New W.W. White all Secondary schools football competition in Rivers State, sponsored by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Elekahia boys (players) thrashed one of the highly rated teams in the competition Government Secondary School Rebisi 4-1 to emerged champions.

The final encounter which took place at Sharks Football Club Stadium, in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, was well attended by some important dignitaries in the State, including the Managing Director of NDDC Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.

Speaking at the event Dr. Ogbuku, assured that NDDC will continue to engage youths in region meaningfully and support school activities, arts and culture, including music, saying that talents discovery is not limited to only sports alone.

According to him NDDC provided this platform to showcase their talents and become valuable to themselves and society.

“I want to assure you that NDDC will always support such events, school activities, not only W.W.White cup, we are also supporting secondary schools in the region, in the area of arts culture, including music because talent is not limited to only sports”, Dr. Ugbuku said.

He advised teams that lost to go back to the drawing board, know the reasons why they lost and improve, and those that won should equally work hard to defend their trophy in next edition, saying that sports is a healthy competition, it is not for bitterness.

” For me all the teams that participated are all winners, sports is healthy competition, it is not for bitterness. We will keep on engaging youths so that we discover new talents”, he stated.

At the end of the event winners, GSS Elekahia goes home with the sum of N2.5M, while second place GSS Risbisi pocketed the sum of N1.75 , as third place Pabod model Secondary School also goes home with the sum of N1.25M as they beat Government Secondary School Azuabie 1-0.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Players Battle For Honours At PH International Polo Tourney

Published

1 week ago

December 12, 2025

The Tide

Players from within and outside Nigeria will from January 11-17, 2026 gather in Rivers State for the 2026 NPA Port Harcourt International Polo Tournament with the theme: “United By The Game.”

Among the trophies to be contested for are Rowland Cookey-Gam, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, King T.J.T Princewill, T.Y Danjuma, Armed Forces Remembrance, President and Governor cups, in addition to a special memorial cup in honour of late former president of the club, Rowland Cookey-Gam.

The President of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Prince Henry Agbodjan, at a media briefing, stated that this year’s edition seeks to deepen unity and inclusiveness.

According to him, “Like the theme of this year’s tournament said, it’s united by the game. So for us as polo club, it’s a diverse group of people. Polo in itself is played in very diverse manners, and we believe in diversity, equity, and inclusiveness as well. So for us both, male and female, no matter where you come from, we are in a united front to ensure that next year’s tournament will be a major success.

“And if you see again clearly, as part of preparations for this tournament, we have one of our own who we lost 20 years ago in a plane crash. Rowland Cookey-Gam and you can see him clearly in the part of the emblem for this year’s tournament. So, we’re going to use this tournament to eulogize him, remember him, and of course, appreciate his work for polo within the Harcourt Polo Club and polo in general around the world.”

Agbodjan noted that the club was able to achieve its goals during the last tournament, especially in the area of catching them young and taking polo to the grassroots, adding “So we commenced our Catch Get Young program and it was very well received by the public and are going to intensify the program.”

“And we hope that this whole thing will yield the right dividends in the next four to five years where we see great polo players all from Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta at large, contesting and competing against the best in the country and of course around the world as well,” he stressed.

He commended the Rivers State Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), alongside other private and corporate sponsors for their continued support to the club over the years, whilst assuring that the flagship polo tournament in the country would continue to draw people from all walks of life.

The club president assured of adequate security before, during and after the tournament, as well as entertainment that will feature varieties of local and national artistes, among others.

Also speaking, the captain of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Dr. Ikenna Nebolisa disclosed that players from Iran, Mexico, England, Argentina, among others would be participating at the tourney, in addition to entries from Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jos.