Deciding who is a better player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been debated by soccer fans for years. However, Ronaldo has finally spoken about his rivalry with the Argentine.
Ronaldo is no stranger to interviews with Piers Morgan. It was the player's chat with the journalist that saw the end of his second stint with Manchester United. Following his unceremonious exit from Old Trafford, Ronaldo joined the Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. Messi is also now playing outside of Europe's elite in MLS with Inter Miami.
Since their departures from European soccer, debates will probably shift to who is a better player between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. However, for now, the Messi versus Ronaldo debate is still going strong.
Ronaldo has added fuel to the fire of the debate, speaking to Morgan, the Al-Nassr forward has been quoted on AS saying, "Is Messi better than me? I don’t agree with that opinion. I don’t want to be humble."
Often, soccer players are very modest when compared to their rivals. However, Ronaldo is not holding back here, which shows how much the Portuguese wants to be considered as the greatest of all time.
Who is better between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
At the end of the day, it will be debated for generations to come as to who is a better player. A deciding factor for many fans is that Messi has won the World Cup, while Ronaldo has not. However, both players are still internationals and could be in for a showdown at the tournament in North America next summer.
Ronaldo is 40, whilst Messi is 38, so there will not be many more opportunities for the two players to go up against each other. Unlike the days when they would feature regularly in El Clásico clashes between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
It is slightly strange to compare two individual players in a team game. However, we have to look at their personal stats when comparing Messi and Ronaldo. The Champions League is regarded as the best club competition in the world, so this is a good way to compare the two players.
In 183 Champions League games for Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus, Ronaldo scored 140 goals, with 50 assists. As for Messi, in 163 appearances for Barcelona and PSG in the competition, he scored 129 goals with 45 assists.
Soccer is a game of opinions, so it is impossible to say who is a better player on stats alone or trophies lifted. Many fans will see Ronaldo as a better goalscorer and athlete, whilst Messi's natural ability was always sublime to watch.