"I think he is the greatest ever" - When Manchester United star Marcus Rashford made his choice between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Back in 2018, Manchester United star Marcus Rashford made his choice between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both legends have been the main topics of a longstanding debate regarding the greatest player of all time.
This is hardly any surprise, with Ronaldo and Messi winning a combined 13 Ballons d'Or awards - the most prestigious individual award in football. While the legendary Portuguese striker has won five, his Argentine counterpart has racked up a remarkable eight.
During an interview with CNN, Marcus Rashford opted for Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo, who was a legend at Manchester United. The striker said (via SPORTBible):
“Some of the stuff that he does is unbelievable. I’m a big fan of [Cristiano] Ronaldo as well but I think Messi is the greatest ever.”
It is worth noting that Rashford and Ronaldo eventually shared the pitch when the Portuguese striker moved from Juventus to Manchester in the summer of 2021. The two players notably played 39 matches together for United but had only two joint goal participations.
The stint did not last very long, though, as Ronaldo left Old Trafford after a mutual agreement to terminate his contract in November 2022.
As for Lionel Messi, Rashford has never played on the same team with the Argentine wizard but they have faced off on opposite sides twice.
In the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in the 2018-19 season, Barcelona beat Manchester United 1-0 in the first leg and 3-0 in the second leg. Messi scored a brace in the second game.
When Jose Mourinho shared his thoughts on the debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Back in 2019, legendary manager Jose Mourinho gave his thoughts on the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While he notably managed Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Messi certainly caused him a headache as Barcelona's talisman, with both clubs vying for domination in Spain.
When the Portuguese spoke about the duo on his On The Touchline with Jose Mourinho podcast, he was full of praise, saying (via SPORTbible):
“I think they are lucky and unlucky to be in the same generation. They are lucky because they can compete against each other. They look to each other in a positive way and get extra motivation. If there was only one of them, they would have ten Golden Boots.”
Now, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are no longer involved in European club football.
Messi left after a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain, opting for a move to Inter Miami in the MLS, where he has won the Leagues Cup and the Supporters Shield. Ronaldo left for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he won the Arab Cup Champions Cup.