"It was never a debate" - When Jamie Carragher took brutal dig at Cristiano Ronaldo by praising Lionel Messi
Football legend Jamie Carragher once shared his take on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate, choosing the former over the latter. Both icons are considered two of the greatest players to have graced the beautiful game.
Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry peaked between 2009 and 2018 when Ronaldo played for Real Madrid and Messi was at Barcelona. The two superstars would meet at least twice a season, leading to a surge in popularity for El Clasicos.
Both legends have dominated football for over two decades, winning 13 Ballon d'Ors together. However, legends and fans of the game will perhaps forever remain divided on who is the better player.
In an interview with CBS Sports, retired Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher shared his take on the highly-publicized Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate. He hailed the Argentine superstar as the better player, and said (via GOAL):
"It was never a debate. Ronaldo's nowhere near the level of Messi. Ronaldo is one of the greatest goalscorers of all time, Messi is the greatest player of all time, it's not even close. Ronaldo scored goals, Messi scored goals and was an unbelievable player."
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have bid farewell to their glorious time in Europe, leaving at the twilight of their respective careers. Messi joined MLS side Inter Miami in 2023 and led them to win the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters' Shield since joining.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has been increasing his numbers while playing for Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr. The Portuguese talisman was the highest goal scorer in the Saudi Pro League in the 2023-24 season (35 goals) but is yet to win silverware with the side.
Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: Who has more highest goal-scorer awards?
Lionel Messi has been the top scorer across competitions 23 times in his career while Cristiano Ronaldo has been named top scorer 20 times. However, Ronaldo has more career goals with 916 to his name over Messi's 850 goals.
Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Shoe a record six times, all of which came during his time at Barcelona. His highest number was in the 2011-12 season with 50 goals. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the prestigious honor four times with his highest being 48 goals in 2014-15.
Messi has been the top scorer in LaLiga eight times between 2004 and 2021, while Ronaldo was named the highest scorer three times in the league (2009-2018). The legendary Portuguese was also the highest scorer in the Premier League (31 goals) and the Serie A (29 goals) once each.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has dominated the UEFA Champions League after being the top scorer seven times in the tournament. Messi has won the honor six times. The Al-Nassr star was also the top scorer of the Euros two times. Meanwhile, Messi has been the highest goal-scorer in the Copa America once.