Andres Iniesta names Lionel Messi the greatest after World Cup
Former Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta praised Lionel Messi in an ESPN interview, saying the Argentine forward again proved he is the greatest player in history during the recent World Cup. Iniesta highlighted Messi's eight goals, which made him Argentina's top scorer, and noted that only France's Kylian Mbappé scored more overall, with two goals in the third‑place match.
Argentina won seven of eight matches to reach the final, where they were defeated. Iniesta, a hero of Spain's 2010 World Cup triumph, said Messi's performance places him above legends such as Pelé and Diego Maradona. He also praised the long‑standing rivalry between Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, calling it an "incredible battle" over the past fifteen to twenty years.
Entities: Andrés Iniesta · Argentina national football team · Kylian Mbappé · Lionel Messi · Spain national football team
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in the third‑place match, finishing with more World Cup goals than Messi. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Iniesta said Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo provided an incredible rivalry over the past 15‑20 years. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Andres Iniesta said Messi demonstrated he is the best player in history during this World Cup. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Andres Iniesta was part of Spain's 2010 World Cup winning team. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Lionel Messi scored eight goals at the World Cup, making him Argentina's top scorer. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Argentina won seven of eight matches in the tournament and reached the final. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Iniesta considers Messi the greatest player, ahead of Pelé and Maradona. (Iniesta interview)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Argentina lost the World Cup final. (Iniesta interview)