Pep Guardiola, the esteemed football manager, has disclosed his list of the six players he believes stand atop the pantheon of football greatness.
Renowned for his tactical acumen, Guardiola has helmed prestigious clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, carving out a legacy as one of football’s most successful managers.
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At 53, Guardiola guided Manchester City to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title in the 23/24 season, edging out Arsenal in a tight race.
Throughout his illustrious career, Guardiola has had the privilege of managing football luminaries including Lionel Messi, Kevin De Bruyne, Thierry Henry, and Erling Haaland.
In a heartfelt homage to the late Brazilian icon Pele, Guardiola enumerated six footballers whom he venerates as the all-time greatest.
He said: “I never pretend to be Pele, honestly. I never saw him play, I spoke with people who said he was the greatest for them.
“What he has done, not just winning three World Cups, the goals and he was a new thing when he came up. I was not born when he was playing. It’s like a good movie, the legacy that we’re still talking about him, about a good movie, a good book, because he was so good.”
Guardiola added: “Pele, [Diego] Maradona, [Johan] Cruyff, [Lionel] Messi, [Franz] Beckenbauer, Cristiano Ronaldo, these players will be eternal.
“They have done many things for many years, these types of players make our business, our job, a better place. What he produced for the feeling for the people. We have seen the World Cup, one team can produce for a country, it’s incredible. It’s not another event can produce this emotion. This part of exceptional players can produce the emotion for the players.”
For many football enthusiasts, Messi cemented his status as the ultimate football legend with his pivotal role in leading Argentina to World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2022.
