"In the future, people will look back in awe" - When Thierry Henry made incredible claim on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate
Former Barcelona striker Thierry Henry picked his former teammate Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo as the better player between the two rivals.
Both players are widely considered to be two of the greatest players of all time, due to their numerous achievements in their football careers.
As such, it is often difficult to pick who the better player is between, Messi and Ronaldo, and the debate never ceases to end.
Over the years, fans, pundits, and even footballers have all given their voice on who they consider to be the best of the two superstars.
One such former footballer who has weighed in on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate is Arsenal and French legend Henry. The veteran is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation.
Lionel Messi on Thierry Henry signing for Barcelona: ‘The first day he entered the dressing room, I did not dare look him in the face. I knew everything he had done in England’. https://t.co/hr3wbiFLC0
Speaking on the debate between Messi and Ronaldo, Henry went on to pick the Argentine captain as his preferred choice. One of his reasons was that he played with the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward during his time at Barcelona.
In his words, as seen in Give Me Sports, Henry said:
“I played alongside Leo, so there’s my answer. I have an enormous amount of respect for Cristiano as someone who has maintained such a high level for several years."
He continued:
“It’s one thing to have a good season and then have another four years later, but to keep up with that level for consecutive years is something else.
Henry was quick to acknowledge the level of consistency that both superstars have achieved in their careers. He, however, did pick his former Barcelona teammate as his choice while showing respect for Ronaldo. He said:
“People realise it, of course, but I feel like we still don’t grasp the real measure of what these two are doing. In the future, people will look back in awe at the continuity, the goals and the pressure that comes along with doing this for so long."
He concluded:
“So I’m full of respect for Ronaldo, but I played with Leo and had extraordinary moments with him, we lost and won together, so that is all I have to say on Leo.”
''He is one of a kind'' - Zlatan Ibrahimovic picks Messi as his preferred choice over Ronaldo
The Swede legend is another football veteran who has jumped in on the debate between the two superstars.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed sometime in 2016 that he prefers his former Barcelona teammate over Portuguese veteran Cristiano Ronaldo.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic talking about Cristiano Ronaldo. https://t.co/1J5bTnjYr8
He said:
“I think Messi is one of a kind. What he’s doing, I don’t know if we will see another player do the things that he does."
He concluded by saying that while Ronaldo's success could be played down to a lot of training and hard work, Messi's is more natural:
“It is different [with Ronaldo] because he is the result of hard training. It is not natural.”
The legendary duo have won numerous team and individual trophies over the years. They have won 12 Ballons d'Or between them, with the Argentine ace winning seven.