"I have one selfie on my smartphone" - When Jurgen Klopp gave his verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate
The Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate has captured the attention of many footballing icons over the years, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp isn't an exception. The tactician once gave his verdict on the debate by revealing whose selfie he has on his phone.
The year was 2018 when Jurgen Klopp appeared in a special Q&A session at the LFC Foundation Gala dinner, where he answered several questions. A segment of the video showed the tactician commenting on the Messi and Ronaldo subject.
The Liverpool manager hinted that he hinges towards the Argentine in the GOAT debate. Klopp revealed that he's got only one selfie on his phone, and it was with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, even though his Portuguese rival was in the room at the time.
“I have one selfie on my smartphone. That’s with Messi. Cristiano was in the room, as well…” he emphatically stated.
Two years later, the German manager offered a deeper explanation on the subject. He stated that clearly that he loves Messi a bit more while hailing Ronaldo as an incredible player.
“The explanation is the following: we’ve played against both already, and both are almost impossible to defend. But Messi has much lower physical requirements from birth on," Klopp said on the YouTube channel "freekickerz".
“If you could paint yourself a perfect player, it would have Ronaldo’s height, he could jump and run as high or quick as Ronaldo can do. And what is then even added to that is his total attitude, it is absolutely perfect and professional, it couldn’t be any better.
"And on the other side, there is the small Messi who makes everything look so simple. And therefore, I like him maybe a little bit more as a player on the pitch. But Cristiano is also an absolutely incredible player," added the Liverpool boss.
Klopp is one of the managers who have been privileged to come up against the two legends in their careers, tasting both victories and defeats against them.
Messi and Ronaldo reach new milestones in December
The last month of the year 2023 has certainly been a favorable one for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two footballing icons have equally recorded incredible achievements worth celebrating over the last couple of days.
To start with, Messi was recently unveiled among the three finalists for FIFA's Best Player of The Year award for 2023, alongside Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, became the most searched athlete in history this month, giving his supporters another off-field achievement to celebrate. It's exciting to see the duo still being relevant even at this stage of their careers.