GOAT debate: Some of football's best players pick their favourite between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The debate surrounding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo looks never-ending. In the last decade, the two players have been the subject of heavy comparisons stemming from their other-worldly performances and the consistency with which they exercise their exploits.
The talismanic duo shares the record for the most Ballon d'Or wins and rightly so. The pair have raised the bar of what it means to be a football player to unprecedented heights, thereby cementing their status as absolute legends of the beautiful game.
Ronaldo has terrorized defences across Europe, recently becoming the first player in history to win the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. Having left Real Madrid last summer, the 34-year-old moved to Juventus where he won the Supercoppa Italiana and the Serie A in the previous season. He was further named the Serie A Player of the Year in his debut campaign in Italy despite not finishing as the league's top scorer. The Portuguese forward tallied 28 goals in all competitions for the Bianconeri and is set to increase his tally in the season to come.
Meanwhile, Messi's loyalty to Barcelona cannot overshadow his longstanding genius and natural ability. Last season, the 32-year-old helped the Blaugrana to a second consecutive La Liga title and won the Pichichi trophy as well as the European Golden Shoe for netting 36 goals in the league. The Argentine finished his campaign with a staggering 51 goals in all competitions and has been heavily tipped for a sixth Ballon d'Or this year.
Here, we take a look at who football's present elite players have picked as the better player between Messi and Ronaldo:
#1 Ander Herrera
Ander Herrera, who recently left Manchester United for Paris Saint-Germain, has stated that while he has faced some of the best players in football, none of them compares to Messi.
The former Red Devils star labelled the Argentine maestro as the most decisive player he has ever seen.
He said,
"The team (Barcelona) has the best player (Messi) in history. For me, the most decisive I have ever seen in my life, and I have played and faced the best, but there is none like him."