For nearly two decades, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the debate over who is the best soccer player in the world. But with both legends now in the twilight of their careers, new names have started to take center stage. In a recent interview, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni revealed his current top three players—and neither Messi nor Ronaldo made the cut.
With both stars now outside of Europe’s top leagues, fans and analysts alike have begun shifting their attention to a new generation of talent. During a conversation with Spanish journalist Siro Lopez, Scaloni was asked to name his three best players in the world right now. His answer sparked headlines.
“Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and the third one could be one of ours. It could be Julian Alvarez or Lautaro Martinez,” Scaloni said. While Mbappe and the 17-year-old Yamal were quick picks, the third spot appeared more difficult for the coach to finalize.
López even suggested adding Messi to round out the list, but Scaloni decided to keep the discussion focused on the present: “We don’t put Leo in the discussion because it’s tiresome,” he responded, explaining his choice to highlight emerging talent over familiar answers.
Scaloni has repeatedly expressed admiration for Messi—calling him the greatest player in history, even above Diego Maradona. But when it comes to discussing today’s top performers, the coach acknowledged it’s time to shift the spotlight away from both Messi and Ronaldo.
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Lionel Scaloni’s all-time starting XI
Now 46, Lionel Scaloni has had the rare privilege of playing with and against many of the game’s all-time greats. When asked to name his historic dream XI—including players he’s played with, against, or simply admired—the Argentina boss didn’t hesitate to bring legends back into the conversation.
For goalkeeper, he selected Gianluigi Buffon. His back line included Cafu, Alessandro Nesta, Noureddine Naybet (a former teammate), and Paolo Maldini. In midfield, he named Mauro Silva (another former teammate), along with Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
Up front, Scaloni returned to familiar icons: Lionel Messi and Brazilian Ronaldo were his first two picks, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo—finally giving both modern legends a place, albeit in his all-time XI rather than his current top three.
