• World Cup

Mourinho: Messi not the greatest of all time

ESPN staff
July 12, 2014
Jose Mourinho believes Lionel Messi does not have to win the World Cup to be considered a fantastic player © Getty Images
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Jose Mourinho feels Argentina captain Lionel Messi cannot yet be considered to be the best footballer ever.

Messi has scored four goals at the World Cup in Brazil to help Argentina reach their first final since 1990.

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The Barcelona star has not yet netted in the knockout rounds but has remained an influential figure for his country, who are chasing a first World Cup triumph since Diego Maradona led them to glory in 1986.

It has been suggested that a World Cup success of his own would see Messi held in the same esteem as Maradona - but Mourinho isn't convinced it is that straightforward.

"I think he is a fantastic player," the Chelsea boss said in his capacity as a global football ambassador for Yahoo!

"He doesn't need to win the World Cup to be considered a fantastic player. He doesn't need to win the World Cup to be considered a historical player in this decade. But for me, he is not the greatest player of all time."

Meanwhile, Mourinho said he expected Vicente del Bosque to be the man to help Spain bounce back from the disappointment of their group stage exit.

He added: "Does Del Bosque have problems to stay in his job? I don't think so, because the country respects him.

"The country remembers the fantastic results they had in previous competitions, they trust him, they think he's the right man. I don't think he has problems staying in the job."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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