Steven Gerrard once insisted a Liverpool flop was better than Lionel Messi.
Messi claimed his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in France last year to further entrench his status among the greatest players of all time.
The Inter Miami forward, who won the award after captaining Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, has picked up three more Ballon d'Or awards than anyone else, with Cristiano Ronaldo having won it five times.
And while Messi's genius talents were evident from the moment he made his first Barcelona outing 19 years ago, Liverpool icon Gerrard claimed back in 2010 that the pint-sized Argentina star was not quite as good as Joe Cole.
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Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Gerrard’s comments were even outlandish then.
Upon Cole signing for Liverpool on a Bosman, the then-Reds captain told Match of the Day magazine (via the Guardian): "[Lionel] Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better.
“He used to shock us in training by doing footy tricks with a golf ball that most players can't even do with a football. I really fancy Joe for the [Player of the Year] award this season."
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Cole didn’t win the Player of the Year award that season. In fact, he endured a torrid first campaign at Liverpool before subsequently being loaned out to Lille.
Meanwhile, Messi scored 53 goals in all competitions as Barcelona went on to win La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League, while the Argentina star won his second Ballon d’Or months after Gerrard’s comments.
Cole finished his Liverpool career with just three Premier League goals in 26 appearances for the club before eventually leaving on a permanent deal to West Ham United for the 2013/14 season.
Topics: Liverpool, Lionel Messi, Steven Gerrard, Barcelona, Ballon d'Or, Premier League
Chris Byfield