Felipe Melo picks Messi as best ever, eyes coaching future

Recent statements by former midfielder and current commentator Felipe Melo at an event in Argentina on Tuesday put his name among the most‑searched topics. During his participation, Melo covered a range of football subjects, from naming the best player in history to his plans for the future as a coach and his criticism of the Brazilian national team.

Messi, the best in history and favorite for the Ballon d'Or

Felipe Melo did not hesitate to name Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time. The ex‑player, who represented Brazil at the 2010 World Cup, said he never saw Pelé or Zico play, but declared himself a fan of the Argentine number 10. He also placed Ronaldinho, Maradona or Cristiano Ronaldo as possible second‑best candidates.

In his analysis of the Ballon d'Or, Felipe Melo pointed to Messi as the clear favorite. He compared the Argentine with other prominent current names:

• Raphinha: Had a good season with Barcelona, but “didn’t make an impact with Brazil at the World Cup” or “Brazil didn’t settle at the World Cup.”
• Kylian Mbappé: Scores many goals, but “hasn’t won anything with Real Madrid.”
• Lamine Yamal: Has not had “the World Cup Messi played in.”

For the commentator, Messi’s performance with Argentina at the World Cup and his excellent season in Major League Soccer (MLS) were decisive, reinforcing that “he has to be the winner.”

Ambitious plans for a coaching career

During the event, Felipe Melo also revealed his next steps in football, envisioning a career as a coach. He showed ambition by setting high goals for the new role:

“I will win the Champions League, the Libertadores and the World Cup as a coach. It’s only a matter of time. I don’t know if it will be five or ten years.”

To achieve those objectives, the former athlete said he intends to model his style after Pep Guardiola, noting many tactical similarities with the manager. He emphasized that, in his team, players will need “courage to play” and “passion.”

Criticism of the Brazilian national team and Ancelotti

The situation of the Brazilian national team and the performance of Carlo Ancelotti were also topics for Felipe Melo. While he considers the Italian coach “one of the three best in the world,” the ex‑player did not spare criticism of Brazil’s current boss. He said “Brazil has its own DNA and it is different from the Italian style of play,” and that Ancelotti “is far below what we can do.”

Melo used Brazil’s elimination from the World Cup as an example, citing a match against Norway to illustrate his concern:

“We played an important match against Norway, who has never won anything in life, and the national team let them keep the ball. You are afraid to play against Norway. That is terrible for Brazilian football.”

Mbappé’s remarks on South American football

Felipe Melo also commented on Kylian Mbappé’s earlier statements about South American football, in which the Frenchman claimed the level in South America was below Europe’s. The Brazilian criticized the French attacker and quoted a Messi line:

“Mbappé, at the time, didn’t think before speaking. Messi’s phrase fits him perfectly: ‘What are you looking at, idiot?’”

He also mentioned France’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup final and compared Mbappé’s performance to Spain’s in the most recent tournament, concluding that the Frenchman “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

With information from UOL, LANCE!.