Messi, Vinicius, Cristiano Ronaldo? Rubén Insúa's surprising pick of the world's best

In recent times, it has become common for football figures to express their preferences when choosing the best players in the world . In that context, Rubén Darío Insúa , coach of Barracas Central , surprised by sharing his current top 3 footballers. Although the presence of Lionel Messi and Vinícius Júnior was expected, what caught the attention was the inclusion of the young Franco Mastantuono , River 's new jewel.

During an interview on the program Jaque y Mate, the "Gallego" answered a series of quick questions and, when asked about his favorite players, didn't hesitate to praise the young millionaire talent. "I like him a lot," Insúa said of Mastantuono , highlighting the midfielder's level despite his young age. Thus, the coach placed him on the podium alongside the captain of the Argentine national team and the Real Madrid star.

With extensive experience in Argentine soccer, Insúa made a statement that generated repercussions on social media and in the soccer world, especially for his support of a player who is just beginning his first steps as a professional.

On the other hand, another who gave his opinion on great footballers was Roberto Carlos , a Real Madrid idol and world champion with Brazil in 2002. In an interview he gave in April 2020 to the TUDN media outlet, the former full-back was asked about the toughest opponent he had to face. Instead of opting for names like Messi , Cristiano Ronaldo or Maradona , he chose a former teammate of his.

“I've had several: Samuel Eto'o, Finidi George, Joaquín… but I think the toughest, and thank goodness he came to play with me, was Luis Figo. He was crazy,” said Roberto Carlos, who recalled that the Portuguese player not only had great quality but also represented a huge physical challenge for any defender. “He was very heavy, the toughest to mark in my life,” he added.

The debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time has added another authoritative voice: Fabio Cannavaro , a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006 and winner of the Ballon d'Or that same year. The former defender had already given his verdict in 2020 during a live chat with former player Marcelo , where he left no room for doubt.

“For me, Maradona was the best of them all. And the only one who came close was Ronaldo Nazario,” said Cannavaro, who recalled clashes with the Brazilian forward in the late 1990s. “He was unstoppable; he was already being called a phenomenon, and he was,” he concluded.