Kevin-Prince Boateng claims he lied about Messi being the best player in the world | OneFootball

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Kevin-Prince Boateng has claimed that he had to lie about who he believed the greatest player in the world was while he was playing for Barcelona in a new interview. The Ghanaian has said that he had to publicly say it was Lionel Messi, despite personally believing Cristiano Ronaldo was the better player.

Few players, pundits, or fans would question Messi's status as the greatest footballer in the world for most of the last two decades, with only Ronaldo coming close to emulating the Argentine’s success. The pair were football's biggest stars and dazzled millions during their spells at Barcelona, Manchester United, and Real Madrid respectively, scoring goals for fun and bamboozling defenders with audacious pieces of skill.

Debate has raged over who was the better player, and there will likely never be a conclusion to the argument. However, that has not stopped people from making their case for each superstar.

Boateng explains why he lied about who he believed was the better of the two

One man who was fortunate to play with one of the above was Boateng. Having spent time at clubs like Tottenham, Portsmouth, and AC Milan, the midfielder joined Barcelona on loan from Sassuolo in January 2019 for six months, getting the chance to train and play alongside Messi.

He has previously spoken about that short stint in Spain where he played just four times, describing how he had always believed Ronaldo was the better player until he trained with his rival.

However, Boateng has seemingly gone back on those claims in a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand on his VIBE with FIVE podcast. He claims that he had to lie about who he believed the best player in the world was so that he could play for the club.

“I remember that when I arrived in Barcelona they immediately asked me who the best player in the world was. I had to say it was Lionel Messi, I lied. It was one of the biggest lies of my life,” he said, per the Daily Mail.

“Normally I always tell the truth, but I lied because it was the only way to wear the Barcelona shirt. I always supported Real Madrid when I was a teenager. I love Cristiano Ronaldo. But they told me I had to say that, otherwise I wouldn't play.”

Additionally, Boateng went on to describe what Messi was like as a captain, describing how he was more of a silent leader. During his six months at Barcelona, the 36-year-old says that they only spoke to each other once, with Messi asking the loanee what life was like in Italy. To Boateng, it was an indicator of the rivalry between the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and Ronaldo, with the latter then plying his trade with Juventus.

“He [Messi] is the captain but doesn't speak,” he said. “We spoke one time in the shower because he asked if it's difficult to score in Italy because Ronaldo was there at that time, and he showed the rivalry between them.

“I told him that it was more difficult that Ronaldo was there, and he scored every game for three years. People forget too easily what he's done there.”

What is Boateng up to now?

Having played for multiple clubs in several countries, Boateng recently decided to hang up his boots for good in August this year. He had played for German side Hertha BSC since July 2021, moving back to the club where he made his senior debut in 2005.

During his 18-year career, he scored goals wherever he went, with some screamers in there too. How he would have loved to have played with his idol Ronaldo though…