When Lionel Messi tiptoed onto the footballing stage in 2004, there were already whispers he might end up as one of the greatest ever.
Over the next two decades, the Argentine talisman manifested those expectations into reality, and then some. Perhaps the only man still oblivious to the narrative until 2026 was former Welsh defender Ashley Williams.
Williams spent the majority of his long career playing for Swansea, racking up over 300 appearances for the club between 2008 and 2016. The center-back was capped 86 times by Wales, until retirement in 2021.
At the same time, across the Bay of Biscay, a diminutive forward by the name of Messi was taking the footballing world by storm.
While Williams plied his trade in the United Kingdom, Messi won eight Ballon D’Ors and six European Golden shoes amongst uncountable other accolades.
For years, Messi would indisputably be heralded as the greatest of his generation along with arch nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, in 2022, the Barcelona legend stamped his legacy on the game for good. Messi led Argentina to a first World Cup since 1986 in Qatar, scoring seven times including twice in the final.
While Williams announced his retirement in 2021, Messi is yet to hang up his boots.
The 39-year-old, just two years younger than the Welshman, is currently leading his team in North America in pursuit of a second world title. And Messi continues to prove he is different gravy.
He began the campaign by smashing a hattrick past Algeria in Argentina’s opener at Kansas City Stadium.
Messi then extended his lead at the top of the scoring charts by putting two past Austria on Monday in Dallas and secured progress for Argentina.
In the process, La Pulga surpassed Miroslav Klose to become the record goal-scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals.
And it was only then Williams came up with a revolutionary statement.
Williams has an epiphany
Williams is a part of BBC’s panel of experts for the ongoing World Cup. Post the Argentina-Austria game, the 41-year-old was in the studio alongside Olivier Giroud and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Speaking of Messi, Williams said:
“Are we looking at the greatest player ever? Possible. It is definitely worth the debate. We might have just witnessed the greatest player football has ever seen.”
Has Ashley Williams been in a coma for the last 20 years? #messi #goat pic.twitter.com/7iyj51XK02
— Francis Collings (@fran_collings) June 23, 2026
If calling Messi the greatest ever itself was not enough of a nothing burger, Williams’ tone of doubt took fans completely by surprise..
The fact that Williams thought Messi had only just entered the Greatest of All Time debate was shocking at best and egregious at worst. Social media was quick to give him a piece of their minds.
“Did Ashley Williams just say it’s worth a debate if Messi is the best player of all time?” an X post rhetorically read, unable to digest the nonchalance of Williams’ comment.
“Not sure Ashley Williams has been on social media in the last 15 years…” another user fittingly wrote on X.
A fellow critic echoed the sentiment by bringing up a quote from Williams’ BBC colleague Wayne Rooney from over a decade ago, by when Messi was already in conversations to be labelled the greatest:
Ashley Williams learning this for the first time last night was superb pic.twitter.com/0tsPyoZ0Xi
— Sanny Rudravajhala (@Sanny_Rudra) June 23, 2026
Some users took a more cynical approach, with one writing:
“Has Ashley Williams been in a coma for the last 20 years? #messi #goat”
Pressure piles on the BBC
Williams is the latest BBC panelist to have come under fire for his punditry.
Giroud has also attracted significant heat for talking too slow. Fans have even gone so far as to ask the corporation to remove the Frenchman from their list of experts.
All this while, the absence of long-time BBC presence Gary Lineker continues to loom large.
It does not help that the former English striker has made his way to ITV, where he is broadcasting from a grand open-roof studio featuring a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
The BBC, meanwhile, are stuck covering the tournament from Salford in the UK. Their panel is also significantly limited as compared to their English rivals, underlining the vast difference of quality in reporting.
