"He's more brilliant, more technical" - When Brazil legend Romario picked favorite between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Back in 2019, Brazil legend Romario had picked his favorite player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. This is a debate that has seen players, fans, and pundits pick sides over the last two decades, as the Portuguese legend and his Argentine counterpart broke numerous records.
Between them, they have 13 Ballon d'Or awards, with Messi winning eight and Ronaldo taking home five. The height of their rivalry came in Spain, where Barcelona and Real Madrid often faced off, with the duo leading their respective sides to glory so often.
Romario spoke about the two legends, revealing the reason for his decision to pick Lionel Messi over Ronaldo. He described the Portuguese legend in detail, stating (via Brazilian outlet Torcedores):
"Cristiano Ronaldo is very focused, he has a talent that cannot be denied. He is obsessed with good performance. According to people close to him, he trains at times when he is not supposed to train. I believe that his evolution and his success are the result of this, because he deserves it and works for it."
However, he went on to hand his pick to Messi, adding:
“Messi or Ronaldo? Messi! He’s more brilliant, more technical. I prefer to watch Messi play, but Cristiano is among the five best players in history, without a doubt."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both left Europe, with the duo playing in USA and Saudi Arabia respectively. They have taken their age-defying talents with them too, with Messi recently winning the MLS Supporters Shield with Inter Miami, while Ronaldo won the unofficial Arab Club Champions Cup with Al-Nassr in 2023.
When Romario claimed he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Back in 2017, Romario had spoken about Ronaldo and Messi, revealing his belief that he was better than the duo, especially when it came to scoring goals. The former Barcelona striker said to Globoesporte (via GOAL):
“In scoring goals, I was better than both Messi and Romario. More than twice as good. It’s true, though, they have different characteristics to the ones I had. Today, along with Neymar, they are the best in the world.
"They have achieved many titles, but leaving modesty aside, I can say that even though they have won many Ballons d’Or, in that area I’m still better.”
It is worth noting that Romario scored a total of 232 goals in his club career and 55 goals for Brazil. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both eclipsed such figures, with the legendary Portuguese striker crossing 900 career goals this year. Messi has also crossed 800 career goals.