The whole world thinks Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two greatest players of our generation, but former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o believes that Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta is better than the both of them.
Samuel Eto’o and Andres Iniesta enjoyed a fruitful partnership with the pair winning three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues during the Cameroonian’s spell at Barcelona and Eto’o took time to praise the legendary Barcelona midfielder when asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo:
"For me, Messi is the best," Eto'o told Telefoot. "He's like my son. I saw him arrive in this beautiful team.
"But I prefer Iniesta. The world of football is unfair with him.
"He deserves three or four Ballons d'Or. He's an incredible player."
Eto’o who currently plays for Turkish side Antalyaspor has been linked with a move to Ligue 1 side Marseille, but the former Barca and Inter striker siad that any move would have to first have the consent of his wife. Eto’o also categorically denied reports about him returning from international retirement:
"We'll see," Eto'o said, when asked about a Marseille move. "I can't say no, but I should ask my wife. She's the boss.
"I'm a little old for [Cameroon]. A young generation plays now, it's over for me.
"I played 17 years in this great team. It was difficult to finish, but we had the opportunity to do something incredible."
While the whole world is busy in the Messi vs Ronaldo debate, Eto’o’s perspective puts a fresh spin on who the best player of our generation is.
Iniesta – Ronaldo and Messi are deserving winners of the Ballon d’Or
The legendary Spanish midfielder himself had humbly suggested that Messi and Ronaldo deserved the Ballon d’Or award ahead of him. In an earlier interview, when Iniesta was asked about missing out on the game’s top individual prize, he said:
“It's not a thorn in my side. Nor do I think it is an injustice," he told Spanish TV channel Cuatro.
"Both Leo and Cristiano Ronaldo have been deserving of the award.
Everyone has their own opinion."But being surrounded by great players and to be competing with them is significant."
Also read: Lionel Messi’s 5 favourite team-mates
Iniesta’s close control, first touch and dribbling skills are almost unparalleled and the midfielder has been hailed by many as the greatest Spanish player of all time. Even if Iniesta does not win the Ballon d’Or in his stellar career, there is no denying the fact that he is one of the greatest players of our generation.
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