Where are they now? The 5 best players in the world in 2019 according to Lionel Messi

Published

11 months ago

December 28, 2024

Estevao copies Neymar's celebration.

Back in 2019, Lionel Messi named the five players who he believed were the best in the world at that time, but where are all of those stars today?

To make things fair, Messi didn’t include himself in the list and he also chose to omit Cristiano Ronaldo as they were both a level above the competition at the time.

We’ve revisited Messi’s interview with Marca and have checked out where the five players that he named are today.

Eden Hazard

In terms of dribbling and being able to kill a defender with the drop of a shoulder, Hazard is arguably the most similar player to Messi on this list.

Prior to his move to Real Madrid, there was no doubt that the Belgian ranked among the best players on the planet.

“It is very difficult to replace Cristiano, but Hazard is also a great player,” Messi told Marca.

“Hazard has a lot of quality. He is a different football player who can unbalance [defences], but I think he is different to Cristiano, with different characteristics.”

Ultimately, his blockbuster move to the Santiago Bernabeu didn’t go to plan and he ended up hanging up his boots after a four-year stint in Spain.

Since retiring last year, Hazard has kept a relatively low profile, although he has taken part in several charity matches where he showcases the skills that he’s still got.

Sergio Aguero

Around the time Messi named Aguero as one of the best players in the world, the Argentine forward was scoring week in, week out for Manchester City.

He bagged an impressive 32 goals during 2018-19 and helped Pep Guardiola’s side land yet another Premier League title.

While injuries started to take their toll on Aguero during his later years, he still knew how to sniff out the goals on a weekly basis.

Following a short stint with Barcelona, Aguero retired in December 2021 on the advice of doctors.

Nowadays the 36-year-old enjoys life as a content creator and of course, he’s still good mates with Messi.

TRY A QUIZ: The Ultimate Lionel Messi Quiz: 30 tough questions to test your knowledge of the GOAT

Luis Suarez

Having enjoyed their peak years playing together at Barcelona, Suarez and Messi are still going strong today for Inter Miami.

The pair combined for 11 goals in MLS last season and their relationship on and off the pitch is still as strong as ever in 2024.

“It is difficult to compare him with all the scorers I have played with,” Messi said during an interview in 2015.

“There have been many. What I can say is that he is the best central striker today.

“He has a lot to offer the team and it’s a pleasure to play alongside him. We have a good relationship even outside the field and I am happy to share everything with him.”

Neymar

The Prince who never became King.

Tipped by many to take over from Messi and Ronaldo as the best player in the world, for one reason or another, that didn’t quite happen for Neymar in the end.

However, it would be wrong to suggest that Neymar hasn’t enjoyed an excellent career. When fully fit, there aren’t many players who have reached Neymar’s level in the last 20 years.

Messi enjoyed a brief reunion with the Brazilian at PSG before they each went their separate ways in 2023.

Having barely kicked a ball since joining Al Hilal, his future is up in the air heading into the summer when he’s set to become a free agent.

READ: 6 fantastic footballers who have grown up idolising Neymar: Rodrygo, Musiala…

Kylian Mbappe

Messi has often spoken fondly of Mbappe, especially when the pair played together at PSG.

Still considered as the best player in the world by some people today, Mbappe is undoubtedly among the best players of his generation.

While it’s taken him some time to find his feet at Real Madrid, there’s a feeling amongst La Liga fans that the Frenchman is now starting to find his top gear.

Having scored five goals in his last seven matches, Mbappe is quickly converting the doubters into believers.

EPL: Fulham must move on from defeat to Manchester City — Iwobi

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Alex Iwobi says Fulham must stay positive despite their 5-4 defeat to Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.

Marco Silva’s side put up a spirited display in the encounter, and were unlucky not to get at least one point.

Iwobi started the fight back by scoring the second goal for Fulham early in the second half.

The versatile midfielder’s compatriot, Samuel Chukwueze then rose from the bench to score two more goals for the Cottagers.

Manchester City, however, held on to go home with maximum points.

Iwobi stated that they deserved more from the game.

“I feel disappointed because we didn’t get anything out of the fighting spirit that we showed, but I think we have to take the positivity from the game,” Iwobi told the club’s official website.

Fulham will be away to Crystal Palace in their next Premier League game on Sunday.

EPL: Guardiola names team that impresses him everyday

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has named the Premier League club that has impressed him so much this season.

The Spaniard said that Enzo Maresca’s side have really impressed him with the improvement they make everyday.

Speaking after Manchester City beat Fulham 5-4 in the Premier League on Tuesday night, Guardiola pointed out that a team must remain consistent to win the title.

Pep Guardiola’s side closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to just two points behind Arsenal with the victory over Fulham, but the Gunners could maintain their five points lead with a win over Brentford on Wednesday night.

“Chelsea impresses me more and more every day with Enzo [Maresca], but it’s long,” he told reporters after the win.

“Premier League is so long, many things will happen. We won six Premier Leagues, four or five when we in December, January or February we were behind.

“The team who wins the Premier League is the team who grows during the months and this is what we try to do. No injuries, it’s so long.

“But at the same time, if we push, we will be better and push ourselves and control the situations better, the emotions and we will see what happens.”

SportsNews

Outrage As ‘Biological Male’ Wins World’s Strongest Woman Event in Texas (Photos)

Published

1 week ago

November 26, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The 2025 World’s Strongest Woman final has sparked outrage after an alleged transgender athlete won gold.

American Jammie Booker, who is accused of being a biological male, beat Great Britain’s Andrea Thompson to victory at the event in Arlington, Texas.

According to Mail Online, Thompson walked off the podium, appearing to say ‘this is bulls***,’ while Booker celebrated. The Brit has since been crowned the ‘true World’s Strongest Woman’ by her coach and some of her peers.

Rebecca Roberts, a three-time winner of World’s Strongest Woman, has sensationally claimed that no one – not even the organizers – knew about Booker’s background.

Details on the American are not clear, but the publication sighted a YouTube video – uploaded to what appears to be Booker’s YouTube channel in September 2017, with Booker saying: ‘Everyone is dying to tell their own story and I am obviously no exception to that.

‘I’m 21-year-old trans woman with a history of abuse, struggling to stay true to herself while under the rule of her religious parents.’

On Monday night, Roberts posted a picture on Instagram that read ‘Protect Women’s Sports.’ She wrote alongside the picture: ‘I hold no hate toward transgender people. Everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the freedom to live their truth.

But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women’s strength sports. Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category.

This isn’t about identity. It isn’t about politics. It’s about the undeniable physical differences that exist in strength-based sports… differences that don’t disappear, and that matter more here than almost anywhere else. Women’s categories were created for a reason, and if we lose that, we lose the foundation of our sport.

‘What happened this weekend wasn’t transparent. None of us knew. Not even the organisers knew. And when fairness is taken by surprise, trust in the sport begins to crack.

‘My message is simple. Trans people belong in sport, but women’s divisions must remain biologically born female-only.

‘I love this sport. I have given my life to it. And I won’t ignore something that could quietly change it forever. Congratulations to @andreathompson_strongwoman… the true World’s Strongest Woman 2025’