SUMMARY
- German soccer star Thomas Muller recently made a surprising admission about Lionel Messi.
- Although some feel not Messi, but Erling Haaland should have won the award. Muller explains what separates Messi from other players.
German soccer star Thomas Muller recently made a surprising admission about Lionel Messi. It has been a special few days for Messi who won a record-extending eighth FIFA The Best. Although some feel not Messi, but Erling Haaland should have won the award. However, in light of such claims, Muller has perfectly managed to explain what separates Messi from the rest of the soccer players.
As quoted by @BarcaUniversal, Thomas Muller opened up about how statistics in soccer often fail to paint the full picture. Muller admitted that while statistics and goals are an important part of soccer, it’s not the only thing. The Bayern Munich star stressed the importance of aesthetics and elegance in soccer. He further added that he once read that he had more goal contributions than the French soccer icon Zinedine Zidane.
Thomas Müller: “Raw statistics, such as goals or titles, are undoubtedly an important factor. But in the end football is more than that. The magic also lies in aesthetics and elegance.”
“I once read that I have more goal contributions in goals than Zinedine Zidane, but I wasn’t… pic.twitter.com/nGfIvaTdmF
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) January 16, 2024
However, such numbers haven’t fooled Muller into thinking that he’s much better than Zidane. Muller further said, “Because of the magic of the game and the aesthetics of football, magicians like Messi or Zidane are a completely different category to me.” Muller’s bold statement about Messi and Zidane has a ring of truth to it. It’s impossible to judge Messi’s performance by just looking at statistics.
There have been several occasions when the Argentine ace hasn’t managed to get his name on the scoresheet. However, even in such games, the Inter Miami talisman has been nothing short of being wonderfully at his best. Moreover, it has also been reported that there have been instances when Messi received a perfect 10 rating without even scoring a goal in a match.
Thomas Muller considers Lionel Messi the GOAT because of his elegance
Meanwhile, Thomas Muller recently backed Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. Previously, Muller had admitted that he had had better luck while facing Messi than Ronaldo. However, in an interview with DAZN, Muller made a rather U-turn on his opinion. He said, “The GOAT for me is Messi because he makes people say ‘I go to the stadium because of his elegance’.”
Thomas Muller chooses Messi or Ronaldo 👀 pic.twitter.com/qe6zY5FDIZ
— GOAL (@goal) August 24, 2023
The German international further said that Ronaldo has some great statistics and several titles to back himself. Muller also admitted that the Argentine skipper also has some impressive statistics and titles under his belt. However, the 34-year-old 2014 World Cup winner, Messi edges Cristiano Ronaldo because of being more subtle and elegant.
Zinedine Zidane explains the key reason behind Lionel Messi’s magic
Like Thomas Muller, Zinedine Zidane also recently explained what makes Lionel Messi stand out from the rest. Messi and Zidane recently sat down for a chat in a conversation organized by Adidas. During the chat, both the soccer icons had a hearty discussion about several top topics. Both Messi and Zidane revealed their mutual admiration for each other.
The French legend said, “For all the people who like football, these kinds of players are different.” Lastly, ‘Zizou’ also hailed Messi as an example for young soccer players to follow whose only focus should be on soccer and their families.
Talking about what made Messi special, Zidane said that most good players see things on the pitch a second before the others. However, what made Messi different was that he was able to see those things three seconds before the other.