Afrobeat icon Burna Boy snubs Messi and Ronaldo, picks Super Eagles legend as the GOAT

Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy has sparked football debate after overlooking Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when naming the greatest player in history.

Instead, the Grammy-winning artist backed Super Eagles legend Jay Jay Okocha as his all-time favourite during a quickfire interview with ESPN.

Fresh from performing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show, Burna Boy took part in a series of rapid-fire football questions.

When asked to name the greatest player of all time, the Afrobeats icon refused to join the familiar Messi-versus-Ronaldo debate.

"I'll say Jay Jay Okocha, it is between him and Pele. I'm not doing that Messi and Ronaldo stuff," he said.

His admiration for Okocha did not end there. Asked to pick the greatest African footballer ever, Burna Boy again selected the former Super Eagles captain, while also naming him as the greatest playmaker in football history.

The responses cemented Okocha as the clear winner of Burna Boy's football rankings.

The singer also revealed several other football favourites during the interview. Despite never winning a major trophy with England, Harry Kane, who was recently seen partying with Burna Boy, was chosen as the greatest striker of all time.

For the best young player in world football, Burna Boy selected Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal before giving an honourable mention to Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

His support for the Red Devils was evident throughout the interview, naming Manchester United as the biggest club in football and Mainoo as the club's best current player.

Burna Boy also picked "Dai Dai", the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup that he recorded alongside Shakira, as his favourite football anthem.

When asked about the greatest sporting event he has performed at, the Nigerian star unsurprisingly chose the FIFA World Cup, having headlined the historic halftime show at the 2026 final.