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Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t hesitate when naming the one player alongside himself and Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate

Home> Football> Football News

Updated 14:18 18 Aug 2024 GMT+1Published 14:17 18 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t hesitate when naming the one player alongside himself and Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate

Ronaldo has named his two rivals in the GOAT debate.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

Cristiano Ronaldo has named the one player that can contend with himself and Lionel Messi in the 'greatest of all time' debate.

Ronaldo and Messi are considered as two of the all-time greats, with some believing that they are indeed the best in football history.

Others tend to bring the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff into the debate, while older fans might even throw in Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.

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It's a debate that fans will never universally agree on - yet everybody at least agrees that Ronaldo and Messi are up there.

And in an interview with Piers Morgan last November, the presenter asked Ronaldo whether Messi was the greatest player he had ever seen.

He responded: "Probably, yes.

"Him and [Zinedine] Zidane probably, that I have played and fought with.

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"Messi is an 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 team-mate.

"He's a guy that I really respect the way he always speaks about me."

Zidane, meanwhile, managed Ronaldo at Real Madrid between 2015 and 2018, with the pair winning three Champions League titles together.

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As a player, he is considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He combined excellent passing and dribbling abilities with an eye for the spectacular.

His final act as a player was to guide the France national team to the World Cup final in 2006, but was sent off following his infamous headbutt on Italy's Marco Materazzi.

Image credit: Getty
Image credit: Getty

He retired from club and international football after the final, ending a career that saw him play over 800 times for club and country, scoring over 150 goals.

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Zidane won the Champions League and La Liga titles with Real Madrid, a Serie A title with Juventus and a World Cup and European Championship with France. He lifted the Ballon d'Or award in 1998.

In 2017, the Frenchman anointed Ronaldo as his greatest player of all time.

He explained (quotes via ESPN): "There have been many players who have made history at this club [Real Madrid]. But nobody has done what he has - the statistics speak for that.

"What he has done is impressive. So I think yes [he is the best in history].

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"You know I think Cristiano is much better [than me], although I had a good career."

Featured Image Credit: WHOOP - Getty Images

Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Inter Miami

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

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  • What happened to the 15 young players Lionel Messi tipped for greatness in 2020?
  • Cristiano Ronaldo's honest view on whether Lionel Messi has finally settled the GOAT debate
  • Cristiano Ronaldo has named the one player he ranks alongside himself and Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate
  • Kevin De Bruyne didn't hesitate when asked if he would prefer to play with Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi

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