Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins chooses between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has made his pick in the long-running GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The stars have been part of probably the greatest player rivalry in history and have dominated the discourse with their incredible achievements over the past 15 years.

Even though both are currently in the twilight of their careers - the Manchester United star is 37 while Messi turns 35 next month - the debate over who is the best rages on. The latest player to weigh in on this is Watkins, who was asked to choose between them in a video put out by ESPN FC on YouTube.

Titled 'Asking professional footballers: Messi or Ronaldo?', it features a host of players from various teams from various leagues giving their verdict on the debate. When the Villa striker was confronted with the question, he pondered for two seconds before coming up with his answer - "Ronaldo!"

✅ 2020/21 (14 goals)
✅ 2021/22 (10 goals)

Double figures in back-to-back Premier League seasons for Ollie Watkins. 🔥 https://t.co/G76wSi8cmC

Of all the players in the video, the 26-year-old was the only one who explicitly gave the Portuguese star's name, while most of the bunch said "both." Messi, however, was the winner in this instance with a score of 7-5.

Watkins' teammates Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Sanson both went with the former Barcelona ace, while Ronaldo's former teammate Dejan Kulusevski was unable to answer.

Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko had the most interesting answer of them all, choosing neither and instead going with his club teammate Kevin De Bruyne!

Messi-Ronaldo era headed to a close

The two superstars will go down in history as two of the best players, but their era is slowly drawing to a close now. Both players have struggled to replicate their best this season with their respective sides and no longer seem capable of registering 40-50 goals-a-season like before.

Ronaldo vs. Messi debate will never be over, make no mistake about it.

Two of the true GOATS of the Beautiful Game. https://t.co/r6ImoOWNNI

It's only natural for players of their age, but it shows that even GOATS are not immune to 'Father Time'. The debate about who is the greatest-ever player will rage on for ages, but the duo won't be around forever.

They only have a few more years left in them, so why not enjoy what they still have to offer? Football won't be the same ever again once they're gone.