Indian PM Narendra Modi gives his verdict on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo 'GOAT debate'

The Indian PM gave his answer when asked about who is GOAT in football.

During a recent podcast interview, Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided his response to the infamous topic of who is the greatest football player of all time.

The Indian prime minister recently addressed the ‘GOAT’ topic and talked about his favourite athletes in the sport. The debate, which has been going on for years in football, has now seen the Indian PM give his verdict on the topic.

During his appearance on Lex Fridman’s podcast, Prime Minister Modi was asked to name his favourite football player of all time. Football legends like Diego Maradona, Pele, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zinedine Zidane were among the possibilities Fridman gave Modi.

According to the Indian Prime Minister, Lionel Messi is the star of the present generation, whereas Maradona was the hero of the previous one. Remarkably, both athletes are from Argentina. Under Messi’s leadership, Argentina completed their wait to win the World Cup in 2022, while Maradona guided the nation to the 1986 championship.

“Back in the 1980s, one name that always stood out was Maradona. For that generation, he was seen as a true hero, and if you ask today’s generation, they’ll immediately mention Messi,” said PM Modi.

PM Modi picked Maradona and Messi as the greatest footballers of all time. pic.twitter.com/1v4HGkPbf5

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) March 16, 2025

Barcelona are where Messi made his senior football debut and played for more than 20 years, while Maradona also spent two years playing for the Spanish club.

Prime Minister Modi also spoke about India’s football scenario

PM Modi underlined that such a passion for football might play a key role in India‘s ascent to prominence in the game. He expressed hope about the men’s and women’s national teams’ future results on the international scene and praised their improvement.

“It’s absolutely true that many regions in India have a strong football culture. Our women’s football team is performing really well, and the men’s team is also making great progress,” PM Modi stated.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.