Cristiano Ronaldo once ranked Lionel Messi and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane alongside himself in the GOAT debate. Ronaldo said so during his Piers Morgan Uncensored interview, that went viral for other reasons, last year.
Ronaldo and Messi are considered two of the greatest players of the modern era, and the pair share an intense on-field rivalry. However, they have always shown mutual respect towards each other.
Zidane, meanwhile, was Ronaldo’s opponent on the pitch during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The pair later worked together at Real Madrid for two and a half seasons when the Frenchman became the manager of the club. They won three UEFA Champions League titles together.
Morgan asked Ronaldo last year about whether Messi was the best player he has ever seen. The Portugal captain replied in the affirmative (via SPORTBible):
“Probably (Messi), yes. Him (and) Zidane probably – that I have played and fought with.”
Speaking about Messi, Ronaldo said:
“Amazing player, he is magic. As a person, we share the stage 16 years, imagine, 16 years. we share. So, I have a great relationship with him. I’m not a friend of his in terms of, what I mean friend is the guy who was with you in your house, speaking on the phone, no, but it’s like a teammate.”
He added:
“He’s a guy that I really respect the way he always speaks about me. Even his wife or my wife, my girlfriend, they always respect, and they’re from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. So good. What I am going to say about Messi? A great guy who does great things for football.”
Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo chose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in the twilight of their respective illustrious careers. They have both left European football, with Ronaldo now playing for Al-Nassr and Messi recently joining Inter Miami.
However, the debate about who’s better between the duo continues. Not only fans but current players are often asked to share their take on the same. Real Madrid’s Rodrygo recently chose the Portuguese, saying (h/t Madrid Zone):
“Messi or Ronaldo? Ronaldo.”
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi peaked when the former joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009. They became direct rivals in Spanish football, as Messi used to play for Barcelona at that time.