Liverpool legend gives his verdict on Messi-Ronaldo debate, likens comparison to Maradona and Pele
What's the story?
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has given his verdict on the decade-long rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and has likened it to the comparisons made between Diego Maradona and Pele back in those days.
In case you didn't know
The years of rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has not ended even as the Portuguese talisman moved away from La Liga to pursue a new challenge with Juventus in the Serie A.
The former Real Madrid ace has helped the Old Lady to an eighth consecutive Serie A title and boasts of having netted 21 league goals and tallied eight assists in the process. Despite having been brought in to primarily strengthen the Bianconeri's European challenge, the 34-year-old could not inspire the side beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Juventus crashed out of the competition following a quarter-final defeat to Dutch giants Ajax, who now face Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Messi has led Barcelona to a consecutive La Liga title, a Copa del Rey final and has guided the Catalan giants closer to securing their place in the Champions League final with a first leg 3-0 win over Liverpool in the semi-finals.
The Argentine has scored 48 goals in all competitions so far and is also the favourite to win the European Golden Shoe.
The heart of the matter
Speaking to the Sunday Post, Dalgish said of the comparisons,
"People always want to get into the debate about whether he [Messi] is the greatest at the moment, or is it Cristiano Ronaldo?"
"It used to be whether Maradona or Pele was the greatest of all time. As I’ve said many times, it’s all down to opinion. It can’t be factual."
"My answer is that we are extremely fortunate to have two such outstanding players in the game at the same time and you just enjoy them – not try to compare them."
What's next?
Barcelona will hope to seal their spot in the Champions League final when they face Liverpool for their semi-final second leg at Anfield later tonight.