- Pope Francis has insisted Barcelona's Lionel Messi is nothing compared to God
- The Pope admitted that his compatriot is a good player but not near the supreme being
- Messi scored his 40th goal of the season in all competitions against city rivals Espanyol
Pope Francis has insisted Lionel Messi is nothing compared to God but admits he is great player.
In a recent interview with Jordi Evole in the Spanish TV programme, La Sexta, the Pope was not too enthusiastic about drawing comparisons with the supreme being.
The Barcelona superstar has been in impeccable form since breaking into the first team in the 2005-06 season.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to compete with the Argentine maestro at the highest level of the game as both players have won five Ballon d'Or awards.
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The 31-year-old has scored a remarkable 593 goals and assisted 238 in 675 matches for the Camp Nou outfit.
Messi currently leads the pack for the European Golden shoe award as his side are still in contention for domestic and continental trophies this season.
He has helped Barca reach the Copa del Rey final, as well as topping La Liga table with ten points and making it through to the Champions League quarter finals.
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But speaking about his compatriot Messi, who is often referred to as "God", Pope Francis gave a candid response in the interview.
Jordi Evole: "You know when both. Is it sacrilege to say the Messi is God?"
Pope Francis: "In theory, it is sacrilege. You can't say it and I don't believe it. Do you believe it?"
Jordi Evole: "I do."
Pope Francis: "I don't [laughs]. People can say he is God, just as they may say 'I adore you' but only God can be worshipped. Those are expressions from people. 'This is a God with the ball on the field' is a popular way for someone to express themselves."
Jordi Evole: "But he plays well doesn't he?"
Pope Francis: "Of course, he is very good, but he isn't God."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Lionel Messi keeps showing why he is regarded as the greatest of all time by scoring his 40th goal of the season in all competition.
His ingenuity again came to play on Saturday, March 30, as he bagged a brace for Barcelona in the club's 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the Camp Nou.
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