Kenny Dalglish has become one of those figures in world football whose words still carry significant weight whenever he chooses to speak publicly. Having earned that status through legendary spells with three teams — Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland — the 74-year-old remains one of the most respected British personalities the sport has produced.
After winning four league titles in Scotland, Dalglish secured a move to Liverpool in 1977 and went on to claim six more First Division crowns with the Merseyside club. He also played a key role in three European Cup triumphs during his time with the English giants.
When he retired in 1990, the Scot concluded a 21-year playing career as one of the greatest British footballers ever to lace up a pair of boots. Admired by many of the game’s all-time greats, Dalglish’s reputation is well-earned. Argentine icon Diego Maradona, for instance, once described the forward as “a phenomenon” after coming up against him at Hampden Park.
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Dalglish was highly complimentary of Lionel Messi following the Barcelona legend’s role in leading Argentina to World Cup success in 2022. The diminutive playmaker delivered a stunning tournament as he finally secured the one major international honour missing from his already extraordinary list of achievements.
That historic victory certainly wasn’t overlooked by Dalglish, who highlighted four players he believes belong in the conversation for the greatest of all time. Writing in his column for The Sunday Post, the Scottish great shared his thoughts:
“Of course, as the careers of Messi and Ronaldo inch towards their end, the debate will continue about the greatest player of all time.
“It was certainly Messi’s World Cup and, if there was any doubt before, he must now be in the stellar company of Pele and Maradona when fans argue about the best ever. But still the argument will never go away because, ultimately, it is down to opinion, not fact, and everyone has an opinion.”
Those four names are frequently mentioned whenever the debate over football’s greatest player arises, and Dalglish feels they are worthy contenders — although he stopped short of choosing one definitive number one.
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One debate that seems destined to continue indefinitely is the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo. The pair have dominated world football for almost two decades, collecting a remarkable 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them since 2008.
Fans across the globe have their own opinions on which superstar they prefer, and Dalglish also shared his perspective. The Liverpool legend said:
“My view is that we have been hugely fortunate to have enjoyed Messi and Ronaldo both providing such spectacle, skill and sheer magic at the very top level for two decades. They’ve given us all wonderful pleasure, time and time again.
“Messi now, of course, has one up on Ronaldo with the fact he has walked away from Qatar as a world champion with Argentina. Me? I’m just glad I didn’t have to play against either of them.”
