We are incredibly lucky to live in the era of two football geniuses - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps not everyone realises it now, but after decades have passed, most of our contemporaries, who will have grown old by then, will probably remember the Argentine and the Portuguese with nostalgia and tell their grandchildren that football was better in our time!
But who is better - Messi or Ronaldo - opinions are already diverging, and radically so. It turns out that not only ordinary fans, but also football's legendary personalities have different opinions. Well, let's have a quick look at their opinions, and in the end, let's calculate who has more sympathy...
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Pele - for Ronaldo
In the press, you can find several different answers from the ‘King of Football’ on the topic of who is better - Messi or Ronaldo, but we prefer to take into account the latter. In it, the Brazilian genius was on the side of the Portuguese.
‘Today, the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo. I think he's better because he's more consistent on the pitch and in his career, but we shouldn't forget about Messi,’ said Pele.
Diego Maradona - for Messi
One of those who have been opposed to Pele's genius in the press at one time or another, Diego Maradona, considers Lionel Messi to be the best. However, we should not forget that he and Leo are also compatriots, and Don Diego coached Messi in the Argentine national team from 2008 to 2010.
‘I don't remember Lionel playing badly. I will choose Messi over Ronaldo, but I recognise that the latter is an animal, a pure force on the pitch. However, football historians will remember Messi. He gave a lot to the game, and the only thing he couldn't win was the World Cup, although even he wouldn't have been able to change the situation,’ Maradona said.
David Beckham is for Messi
It so happened that the incredible Englishman Ronaldo was called upon to replace him first at Manchester United, and a few years later at Real Madrid. Who knows, maybe that's why Beckham has more sympathy for Messi...
‘They both have similarities in technical skills and talent, and it's amazing for football that they play at the same time. However, Messi is simply the best footballer in the world. He is one of a kind. He is a footballer that no one else can be like,’ Beckham said.
Paul Scholes - for Messi
‘The ‘Red Prince’ of Manchester managed to play with Cristiano Ronaldo for the Red Devils, but he has never played with Messi in the same team. It's all the more surprising that Scholes prefers the Argentine to the Portuguese.
‘Messi is better, but Ronaldo is great. Ronaldo is unique in what he does with the pace and power of the game. But if we take into account the versatility of actions, then Messi is just ‘wow’! He seems to have absolutely everything to achieve his goals,’ said Scholes in an interview.
Roberto Carlos - for Ronaldo
The legendary left-back of Real Madrid failed to play for the Blancos side by side with Ronaldo - the Brazilian left Madrid in 2007, and the Portuguese arrived two years later. However, Roberto Carlos, as a true Madridist, is entirely on Ronaldo's side in the eternal dispute between the two geniuses of our time.
‘I watch Cristiano train every day and what he does is truly impressive. He wants to get better every day. That's the difference between him and Messi. Leo is a phenomenon, but Cristiano's strength is in his work on himself, professionalism, focus, motivation, success... I think Ronaldo has an advantage over everyone else,’ Carlos said.
Zinedine Zidane - for Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has helped Zinedine Zidane, a great player in the past, to get off to a brilliant start in his coaching career. ‘Real Madrid, led by the Frenchman and led by the Portuguese on the field, won three consecutive Champions Leagues - a phenomenal achievement of our time. It is not surprising that Cristiano is the best for Zizou.
‘Cristiano is the best. Messi is his rival, and this rivalry helps football, everyone wants to see him as often as possible. But Ronaldo is phenomenal. There are no words to describe him. He is much better than me, although I can boast of a great career as a footballer. Cristiano is the greatest footballer of all time,’ said Zidane.
Sir Alex Ferguson - for Ronaldo
The incredible Scotsman, who is arguably the best coach of all time, helped Cristiano Ronaldo to unleash his star on the European and global football scene. At Manchester United, the Portuguese was called upon to replace Beckham himself, and he did so in such a way that few people remembered David two years later at Old Trafford. It is therefore not surprising that Ferguson is closer to the Portuguese.
‘Don't get me wrong, Messi is a fantastic player, it's like he's wearing slippers when he controls the ball. But here, in my opinion, is the difference. Messi is a Barcelona player. But Ronaldo can be successful not only at MU, Real Madrid or Juventus, he will score hat-tricks even at Stockport County. He just wanted to be the best in the world,’ Ferguson said.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - for Messi
Swedish forward Ibrahimovic is a real phenomenon in football. You can respect him or hate him, but there are practically no indifferent people towards Zlatan. If you read Ibrahimović's early interviews, he considered Ronaldo to be the best until his career gave him a chance to play and train alongside Leo
‘I think Messi is one of a kind. What he does on the pitch, I don't even know if we will ever see from any other footballer. With Ronaldo, it's different because his success is the result of exhausting training and work on himself. It's not natural,’ Ibrahimovic said.
Marco van Basten - for Messi
One of the best forwards in the history of Dutch football, Marco van Basten, has not directly worked with either Messi or Ronaldo, and therefore his point of view can be considered equidistant.
‘Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi simply don't understand football or are insincere. Messi is one of a kind. It is impossible to imitate him or repeat what he does. A player like him appears in football perhaps once every 50 or even 100 years,’ van Basten said.
Iker Casillas for Ronaldo
Iker Casillas, a graduate of the Real Madrid academy, managed not only to win a place in the Madrid team at a young age, but also to become one of the best goalkeepers in football history. Casillas played in the same team as Ronaldo from 2009 to 2015 and probably considers Cristiano to be the best.
‘Ronaldo or Messi? My choice is in favour of Cristiano because he is a player who has given us so much every season and he is someone who is always a pleasure to cross paths with off the field,’ Casillas said.
Fabio Capello - for Messi
The Italian ‘General’ did not have a chance to train Messi or Ronaldo (Fabio left Real Madrid two years before Cristiano's arrival), but his opinion is always valuable in the football world.
‘Ronaldo is an outstanding footballer, but Messi is a genius. There are only three geniuses in the history of football: Pele, Maradona and Messi. Period. Ronaldo is very strong, he helps his team win everything, but Messi is a pure genius and simply the best,’ Capello said.
Jürgen Klopp - for Messi
The current Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, who has already managed to add his name to the cohort of the most successful and iconic coaches in football, does not like to explain what and why for a long time. He is witty and concise.
‘I have only one selfie on my phone. It's with Messi. Cristiano? He was also in the room at the time,’ Klopp said succinctly.
Ronaldinho - for Messi
The Brazilian ‘Wizard’ was not always known for high-profile scandals, such as the last one, when he was first imprisoned and then released a month later. Ronaldinho's game used to be admired by millions of football fans, and by the players themselves. Rumour has it that Messi himself was among the Brazilian's admirers, and that the Wizard has considered him the best since 2005, when he said that Lionel was capable of becoming much stronger than he was.
‘I would love to continue playing with Messi. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time. He was very young at the time. More than anything, I would have liked to play with him on the same pitch. Leo is the best in history, there is no doubt. No one can do what Messi does. Ronaldo is also strong, he has everything to succeed. Messi or Ronaldo is actually just a matter of football taste, but I prefer Leo's style,’ Ronaldinho said.