Ronaldo, among the greatest players ever, is not ranked first—Messi holds that spot.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi praised Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario as one of the greatest players in FIFA World Cup history after scoring a hat‑trick in his side’s 3‑0 victory over Algeria this week.

Messi also expressed surprise that the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid striker was not ranked first on the all‑time scoring list.

The 38‑year‑old Inter Miami forward had already surpassed Ronaldo’s 15 World Cup goals and then matched Germany legend Miroslav Klose’s 16 goals, thanks to the three goals he netted against Algeria in their World Cup opener.

“It is a great honour to be able to compete with all these greats, including Ronaldo Nazario, among the players I have watched,” Messi said (as per Albiceleste Talk).

“He was one of the greatest players of all time, and yet he is not in first place. So in the end, it’s just a statistic.”

Messi will now aim to lead Argentina to victory when they face Austria in their next match.