Like most of the audience who didn’t watch him in action, Messi was convinced by “The Last Dance” documentary that MJ is indeed the GOAT. Sports icon and soccer legend Lionel Messi revealed that Michael Jordan is his vote as not just the best basketball player of all time but the greatest athlete the world has ever seen. In his appearance on “Clank! by Juan Pablo Varsky” Messi talked about how MJ’s documentary “The Last Dance” convinced him that Jordan is the GOAT.

“It seems to me, in terms of sports, he’s the greatest there is (…) But after having seen his series and getting to know a bit more about him, you know, ‘The Last Dance,’ it just blows your mind, it’s a masterpiece, it’s impressive. Well, that also brought me closer to him and to understand a bit more about who he was,” Messi said.

The impact of “The Last Dance”

At a time when the COVID virus was at its peak, and everyone around the world was encouraged to quarantine in their homes as entertainment came to a halt, Jordan and his team’s strategic move of releasing the documentary in April 2020 was considered brilliant. The documentary, which averaged 5.6 million viewers throughout his run, succeeded in enlightening the world about who His Airness really is, and Messi was no exception.

In fact, the soccer star isn’t afraid to admit that the documentary made him want to meet Jordan one day.

“It’s a pity I couldn’t have experienced that era live because I would have loved to. I don’t know much about basketball either, but he was something different. I have a great admiration for him,” Messi added. “So many people have asked me for photos, why couldn’t I ask him for a photo? It would be really nice.”

The utmost respect from Messi

The Argentinian lefty, who is also regarded as one of the best athletes the world has ever seen, was born in 1987, which means he was too young to witness the Chicago Bulls dynasty that dominated the NBA in the 1990s. Now that Messi understands Mike’s immense impact across all sports, his praise for the retired Bulls guard is a profound sign of respect, especially given the soccer player’s own legendary status in sports.

Obviously, Lionel didn’t in any way attempt to throw shade at LeBron James, who is considered Jordan’s rival in terms of the famous GOAT debate. His revelation was a testament to the brilliance of the“The Last Dance” documentary and a sign of admiration from one GOAT to another.