Days after copying Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic Siuuu celebration in Premier League, Argentine attacker offers opinion on Lionel Messi and GOAT debate
Everton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz has sided with Lionel Messi in the never-ending Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate despite being a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. The 22-year-old opined that the Argentine icon is the best player in the world, but lauded the Portuguese for consistency, dedication, and hard work.
Alcaraz's comments about the two football greats come days after he copied Ronaldo's iconic "Siuuu" celebration. The Argentine international, who is on loan at Everton from Flamengo, emulated Ronaldo's trademark celebration after scoring his first league goal for the Toffees during their 2-1 league win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, February 15.
Speaking recently in an interview, Alcaraz revealed that he had always been a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, but believes that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. He said (via Mirror):
"I have always liked Cristiano despite being Argentinian. Obviously Messi I think is the best player in the world."
The Everton star also spoke about his admiration for Ronaldo and why he copied his celebration.
"There is no doubt there. But I have always liked Cristiano, I like his consistency, his dedication, his hard work, the way he has evolved and changed his style of play over the years. He has evolved to keep playing at the highest level. That celebration was just down to liking him so much, I always admired him," Alcaraz added.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of football's most decorated and celebrated players. The duo have won a combined 13 Ballons d'Or and have scored over 1700 career goals.
Brazil legend comments on Cristiano Ronaldo's claim of being the most complete footballer
Brazil legend Zico has weighed in on Cristiano Ronaldo's claim of being the most complete footballer and best player in history. During an interview with El Chringuito's Edu Aguirre, the Al-Nassr star ranked himself above other football greats like Lionel Messi, Pele, and Diego Maradona.
When asked about Ronaldo's comments, Zico claimed that the Portuguese legend did not go overboard. He added that although he was not born with the talent of other football greats, he has become one of the best due to hard work and dedication.
"No, he should really say that. People talk about him like he's just a goalscorer and that's not true man, Cristiano is a great reference for any footballer, because he wasn't born with the talent of other players, he became the best thanks to his dedication and effort," Zico said (via Al Nassr Zone on X).
Cristiano Ronaldo's hard work, dedication, and discipline have enabled him to continue playing at the highest level despite being in the twilight of his career. The 40-year-old is the highest goalscorer in male football having recorded 924 goals and 257 assists in 1263 games for club and country.