Who is the greatest footballer of all time? Pele, Maradona, Messi or Ronaldo? The argument never seems to end. Messi himself has never called himself the greatest of all time. But in a video posted to his own Instagram just after his retirement, the debate appears to have been settled — in Messi’s favor.
Messi bid farewell to Argentina on Aug. 31. The video was posted to his Instagram the following day. Its caption reads: “More than 20 years. Six FIFA World Cups and countless memories. Thank you all for being with me every step of the way.”
The Instagram video post tags Michelob Ultra, the U.S. beer company. All of Messi’s achievements in international football are shown on a restaurant receipt. The final line of that receipt settles the GOAT debate.
The video shows Messi’s achievements for Argentina appearing line by line on the receipt. It is part of a new brand campaign.
The receipt also mentions Messi’s impact — how he inspired millions of fans playing for Argentina, and how much anguish he caused fans of opposing teams. And at the very end, it reads: “GOAT debate settled.”