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Even Real Madrid legends can not help but testify to Lionel Messi's greatness
Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos recently shared a blunt memory of the first time he faced Lionel Messi, revealing how he instantly recognised the young Argentine's extraordinary talent.
Young Messi dazzles renowned stars
Recalling the match where he first played against Messi, Roberto Carlos remembered a moment of awe that he shared with his then-teammate and Ballon d’Or winner, Fabio Cannavaro.
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The former left-back said, "When Messi dribbled past [Fabio] Cannavaro and me and ran over us, and the match ended, I turned to Cannavaro and said 'My God, who is this player? He's the new Maradona’. I knew he’d be the best player in the world.”
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During the match, Messi was mesmerising, but he could not stop Real Madrid from claiming a 2-0 win over Barcelona as well as the 2006/07 LaLiga crown.
Roberto Carlos thankful for Messi’s timing
The Brazilian former defender, who faced Messi just twice in his career, shared how he felt fortunate to have witnessed Messi's rise to greatness and expressed a sense of relief that his own career was nearing its end as Messi was beginning to rise.
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Roberto Carlos “remembered telling Cannavaro, "I'm lucky. I don’t have much time left before I retire. How will the next generation of defenders cope? They’ll really struggle with him. In the future, he would win everything.
The Brazilian World Cup winner finally added, “I'm happy because I watched him more than I played against him.”.
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Roberto Carlos, who now has a seat on Real Madrid’s board, turned out to be right about his prediction of Messi’s future, as the Argentine has been privileged to have one of the most stellar football careers ever, winning eight Ballon d’Or awards, four UEFA Champions League titles, 10 LaLiga titles, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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