Recalling the reason Andres Iniesta gave in 2020 explaining why Lionel Messi is 'No. 1' and better than Cristiano Ronaldo
Andreas Iniesta once revealed why Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo in the eternal debate that has seen both superstars compared over the past decade. The former Barcelona midfielder shared his thoughts in 2020, not knowing that both players would go on to leave their respective clubs at the time.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport (via Barca Blaugranes) at the time, the legendary Camp Nou midfielder explained his reasoning behind putting the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star above Ronaldo:
“Leo is different, unattainable. Everyone has their preferences and we like to make comparisons. But for me, they are not comparable. Even if they score almost the same number of goals.
”For me, Messi is No. 1, because he has everything. Passing, assists, dribbling, goals, team spirit. He knows how to be decisive in almost every, and he has been for years. I never saw a player as decisive and strong as Messi.”
Lionel Messi has now surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo in free kick goals. https://t.co/qVVKyZaIbv
Cristiano Ronaldo's fans will not be pleased with the Vissel Kobe captain's words, and they will argue bias, as Iniesta and Messi played together for 14 years. However, this won't matter to the Argentine forward's fans, who will take Iniesta's words to heart.
The Argentine forward left Barcelona after a difficult period of financial strain that kept the club from renewing his contract following which he joined PSG. His first season with the French giants was rather subpar, with La Pulga switching into a playmaking role as goals were hard to come by.
However, his second season has started impressively, with four goals and seven assists coming in eight league appearances.
If Portugal and Argentina win their groups we could see Ronaldo and Messi play each other in the World Cup final.
We could finally end the debate 🐐 https://t.co/Gj0HIxeqq8
For Ronaldo, it was a starkly different experience. The Portuguese maestro was vital to Manchester United in his first season at the club, ending the campaign as their highest goalscorer (24 goals).
However, it did not help that the Red Devils struggled on all fronts, eventually losing out on Champions League slots. This has seen the Portuguese marksman spend his first season away from Champions League football for the first time in his illustrious career.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a poor start to this season compared to Lionel Messi
While his Argentine counterpart has impressed in both domestic and continental competitions this campaign, Cristiano Ronaldo has had to deal with a benchwarming situation at his club.
Under the guidance of new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag, the Portuguese sharpshooter has started just one Premier League game this season. While he is yet to score in the league, Lionel Messi has scored four goals and has been a vital part of PSG's attacking trident.