"Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy is for me more complete" - Louis Saha explains why the Portuguese superstar is better than Lionel Messi
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has asserted that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will leave a better footballing footprint than Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo, 37, is considered one of the best players in the history of the sport due to his stellar careers for both club and country. He has scored a whopping 819 goals and laid out 266 assists in 1145 games for Portugal, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus and Sporting CP.
Currently a free agent after his contract termination at Old Trafford last month, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has lifted a total of 34 trophies during his two-decade-long career. He has five UEFA Champions Leagues, three Premier Leagues, two La Ligas, two Serie As and one UEFA European Championship trophy in his collection.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a world record 118 goals since making his Portugal debut in 2003. Lionel Messi is closing in on 98 goals. 🐐🐐 https://t.co/K2dsEPjBZX
Speaking to Sky Sports, Saha picked Ronaldo ahead of Messi when asked for his opinion on the eternal GOAT debate. He said:
"Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy is for me more complete. When you look at the quality, he can do everything, he doesn't need as much support as maybe Messi might require. But I still respect the latter's natural talent. They are too different to try and compare."
With the winter transfer window just around the corner, the Portuguese is expected to seal a move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr. He reportedly has a contract offer worth £175 million-per-year on the table.
Messi, on the other hand, completed his trophy collection after guiding Argentina to their third FIFA World Cup triumph earlier this month. So far, he has registered 793 goals and 387 assists in 1003 matches for Argentina, Barcelona and PSG, lifting 42 trophies in the process.
Lionel Messi's trophy cabinet is a joke 🐐 https://t.co/G7G4XAzrI2
Sergio Aguero explains why Lionel Messi is clearly better than Cristiano Ronaldo
During an interview with Stake, Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero was asked whether he considered Lionel Messi to be better than Cristiano Ronaldo following the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He replied:
"I don't think there's any doubt [that he's the greatest of his generation]. For me, there were no doubts before the World Cup and much less now. Cristiano has had an extraordinary career and is a complete athlete. But Leo clearly has been and is the best."
Lauding his former Argentina teammate, Aguero added:
"What's clear is that after winning the World Cup, as the leader of the team, he's in history and with all the honours. He has won it all. There's nothing left to prove. And he's in everyone's hearts."