Nigerian football legend Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha has weighed into the long-running debate over whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi deserves to be regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, declaring that Messi is “on another planet”.
Okocha made the comments during an appearance on The Obi One Podcast, hosted by former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy.
The former Nigeria captain acknowledged Ronaldo’s exceptional goalscoring ability but argued that Messi offers a different dimension to the game.
“Messi, Messi. Ronaldo is a special player, but he is for me a goal scorer. He can score 10 million goals. He is a goal scorer. It’s like (Erling) Haaland. Haaland is a goal scorer,” Okocha said.
He went on to describe Messi as a natural footballing talent whose abilities extend beyond goalscoring.
“Messi is on another planet. Messi is an art. Messi was born to play football. He’ll get ill if he doesn’t play football. He’s a genius. I mean, you have to give it to him,” he added.
The comments add Okocha’s voice to one of football’s most enduring debates, which has divided supporters and prominent figures in the sport for more than a decade.
Okocha, widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted dribblers in football history, built his reputation on his flair, creativity and ability to beat opponents with skill.
Although his career was marked more by individual brilliance and memorable performances than an extensive collection of major trophies, he enjoyed success at both international and club level.
With Nigeria, Okocha won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games. At club level, he was part of the Paris Saint-Germain side that won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001.
His assessment of Messi and Ronaldo is therefore another contribution from one of the game’s most celebrated entertainers to the continuing GOAT debate.
