They Played With BOTH Messi & Ronaldo… Who’s the GOAT?
The longstanding debate of Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi has divided football fans for close to two decades – but what about the players who know them best? The pair are regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all time, with 13 Ballon d’Or between them. Here’s a selection of quotes from (almost) all of the players fortunate enough to have played alongside Messi and Ronaldo.
Transcript
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are undoubtedly the best players of the modern generation and only a select few have been fortunate enough to play alongside both of them. However, of the players who have played alongside both Messi and Ronaldo, who do they consider the goat to be? Well, for Casemiro, this is a bit of a controversial topic because he's recently switched up his opinion. Having played alongside Ronaldo at both Real Madrid and Manchester United, he's always firmly been in the camp of CR7. Even earlier this year during a podcast with Rio Ferdinand, he described Ronaldo as the best and that he's from another world entirely. However, having recently made the switch to Inter Miami to play alongside Lionel Messi, Casemiro's now flipped his opinion. Upon making the move, he told reporters, "For me, without a doubt, I am coming only to play with the best player of all time. I left Man United as a free agent. I had options in Italy, other teams in different places, but I am where I want to be. I want to be enjoying it with him, helping him win and making him bigger." Safe to say after that interview, Casemiro may no longer be on Ronaldo's Christmas card list. Gerard Piqué was fortunate enough to play alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United and Messi at Barcelona during his peak years. Piqué's always been very respectful of Ronaldo because of this, previously describing him as the perfect machine and a hard worker who always wants to improve. However, when it comes to the goat debate, Piqué's always firmly been in the camp of Messi. In 2016, Piqué said, "For me, it's like Messi is not human, but Ronaldo is the best of the humans." A nice compliment for CR7, but he's got Messi above him. Andre Gomes has been fortunate enough to play alongside both players with Ronaldo at international level and Messi at Barcelona. However, when it comes to the goat debate, he's always been pretty noncommittal, being very complimentary of both of his former teammates. So, for that reason, we'll give both Messi and Ronaldo a point in this one. Gonzalo Higuaín played with Messi at international level and Ronaldo at both Real Madrid and Juventus. The veteran striker has always been very complimentary of both of his former teammates, but bizarrely doesn't consider either of them to be the GOAT. Instead, he's continuously said that R9 is the best of all time. From an interview with The Guardian, he said, "I've watched 2 million of his goals. For me, he's the best ever by a big margin." So, neither Messi or CR7 are getting a point from Higuaín here. Henrik Larsson was fortunate enough to play with both Messi and Ronaldo when they were both in their formative years at club level. While the Swedish forward is a big fan of Cristiano, he's firmly of the belief that Messi is better. Larsson said, "Cristiano is unlucky to be playing in the same time as Messi. Ronaldo is very good, but Messi is even better." That's another point going to Messi. Ezequiel Garay played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Messi at Argentina, but is firmly in the camp of Messi. Garay said, "When people ask me who is the best player ever, I say Leo. From the first time I saw him train with Argentina under 15s to this day, he continues to amaze me. He has no limit." That's another point for Messi right there. And the thing is, it's not just Messi's international teammates who give him the edge over Ronaldo. Even some of the Portuguese boys are doing the same. Deco played alongside both players, but thinks Messi is the superior star. In 2012, he said, "There's no doubt that Messi is the best player in the world. He does incredible things and keeps on breaking records. I think Cristiano is nearly as good as Messi. They're both phenomenal footballers, but in different ways." There's another point for Messi. However, some of Messi's former Argentine teammates do prefer Ronaldo. Gabriel Heinze, for example, who played with Ronaldo at Manchester United, is firmly in his camp. In 2008, he said, "If I had to pay for one player, I would choose him, Ronaldo. I don't think Cristiano Ronaldo will get any better as a footballer. He is already next to God in his ability." That's a point for CR7 right there. Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo developed a prolific relationship alongside each other at United. And as a result, he's always been very complimentary of the Portuguese superstar. But in terms of the goat debate, Tevez is always backing Messi. In 2018, he said, "Messi plays another sport. For Messi to score three goals in any given game is normal." Let's add another point to Messi's tally there. Paulo Dybala shared the pitch with Ronaldo at Juventus for a few years, and the two of them developed a good playing relationship during that time. However, when it comes to the goat debate, Dybala has always been in the camp of Messi, it would seem. He's previously described Messi as the Maradona of his generation and continues to say how much of a privilege it is to share the pitch with Leo. Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo has played alongside both players at club level, and he's given his preference towards Cristiano Ronaldo, saying CR7 trains like an animal. He doesn't know when to rest, and he encourages you to give your all. Now, he did say that while he was playing with Ronaldo at Juventus, which could have swayed his opinion, but that's a point to Ronaldo right there. Portuguese winger Francisco Trincão has refused to answer the goat debate, so that's a point to both players there. The same also goes for the likes of Miralem Pjanić, who's sat on the fence, Nélson Semedo, who cited both players as the best of all time. Danilo Pereira played alongside Lionel Messi at PSG, but for him, CR7's always been the best. During an interview, he said, "Cristiano Ronaldo is the best. The way he plays, the way he works, the way his mentality is, which I think no one can beat him in this way." Another point to CR7 in that case. And another of Messi's former PSG teammates who prefers Ronaldo is Achraf Hakimi, who briefly played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid. And when asked to pick between both players, he sided with CR7. Lisandro Martínez, though, is very much in the camp of Lionel Messi, despite playing alongside Ronaldo for Manchester United. Lisandro said, "Messi is the best he's ever played with. Why? Because he's the best player in the history of football, and I'm playing with him in the national team. I saw things that I have never seen in another player. I think he's the best ever. Pretty conclusive words, point to Messi. Sergio Ramos spent years kicking lumps out of Lionel Messi whilst he was at Real Madrid and a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo's. However, his opinion of him quickly shifted after he made the move to PSG to play alongside Messi. Ramos said, "There was suffering for several years playing against Messi, but I am now enjoying him. He is the best player football has ever produced." If that's not a ringing endorsement of Lionel Messi and calling him the goat, I don't know what is. Point to Messi there. And another of Ronaldo's former Real Madrid teammates who thinks Messi is the goat is Keylor Navas. Navas only briefly played alongside Messi for PSG, but that's not stopped him from declaring Messi as the goat. Describing Messi as a gift from God that makes him different from everybody else. Let's give Messi another point in that case. It also won't come as much of a surprise to learn that Di Maria thinks that Lionel Messi is the goat despite the fact he played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Di Maria has previously described Ronaldo as a monster, but thinks that Messi is a cut above. That's another point for Leo in the goat debate there. Fernando Gago is another Argentine player who shared the pitch with Ronaldo at Real Madrid, but considers Messi as the goat. During an interview he said, "For me, Ronaldo is not number one. For me, the best in the world is Messi because of the way he plays, moves with the ball, and changes matches. He's the best I've ever seen in my life without a doubt." Right, at this point, Messi's starting to pull clear. Now, Alejandro Garnacho is a tough one to put into either category, to be honest with you, because he regularly speaks highly of both Messi and Ronaldo and on numerous occasions has described both of them as the goat. As that's the case, we'll give both Messi and Ronaldo a point here from Garnacho. Pablo Sarabia played with both Messi and Ronaldo at club level and he prefers CR7. So, Rabiot said, "For me, Ronaldo is the best player in the world. Yes, it's true that Leo is supernatural because he has pure skill from another planet, but Cristiano is an example of pure willpower." That's a point right there for CR7. Now, there are a handful of other players who have been fortunate enough to be teammates of both Ronaldo and Messi. Although these guys have been quite noncommittal in the press over declaring who they think the goat is. I'm talking about Nuno Mendes, Renato Sanches, Vitinha, and Martín Cáceres, all who have been quite noncommittal in the press when answering the question. So, for that reason, we won't include their verdict as currently it's unknown. So, having now reached the end of the video, this is the final tally, and it's Lionel Messi who takes victory over Cristiano Ronaldo in this video. But, I'd like to throw it out to you guys in the comments down below. Do you agree with Messi and Ronaldo's former teammates? Do you give the edge to Messi? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below. 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