"It is impossible to stop him" - When Arsenal legend Robert Pires made 'incredible' claim about the Messi-Ronaldo debate
Arsenal legend Robert Pires once made an incredible claim on the never-ending GOAT debate involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Gunners midfielder explained that the Argentine maestro has something that sets him apart from his Portuguese rival and other legendary footballers.
Robert Pires made the declaration in disagreement with Brazilian great Pele who had some not-so-good words to say about the then-Barcelona superstar. The Selecao icon had described Lionel Messi as a one-skilled player and gave the nod to Cristiano Ronaldo in their eternal rivalry. He said (via the Mirror):
“How can you make a comparison between a guy who heads the ball well, shoots with the left, shoots with the right… and another who only shoots with one leg, only has one skill, doesn’t head the ball well?”
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have just come together to take the best picture of 2022. https://t.co/w5RoCsFYhI
Shortly after the Brazilian's scathing remarks, Lionel Messi returned to the spotlight following a sensational performance in a La Liga game against Espanyol where he scored two free-kick goals.
Robert Pires seized the opportunity to give the Argentine his flowers, noting that he [Messi] has something that the likes of Ronaldo (CR7), Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry lacked. The former Arsenal forward told Mundo Deportivo:
“If he plays like he did against Espanyol, it is impossible to stop him. It was incredible. I have played with [Zinedine] Zidane, Henry and [Juan Roman] Riquelme, and against Ronaldinho and Cristiano [Ronaldo], but Messi has something that nobody else has. I don’t know if he is the best in history, but there are few where he is."
🗣 Robert Pires on Lionel Messi: "Sharing a pitch with him is a privilege. I was lucky enough to face him and other very good players like Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho... But Messi has something more, something different. A little of what Diego Maradona had." Via La Nacion. 🇦🇷 https://t.co/KhYwiYhLnz
Despite entering the twilight of their careers, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Al Nassr superstars are still making headlines with their impressive performances.
The Argentine was in the news after scoring and providing an assist in PSG's 2-0 win over Nice in Ligue 1 at the weekend. His Portuguese rival also made the front pages after scoring twice against Al-Adalah FC recently.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's numbers this term
So far this season, the Argentine has bagged 19 goals and 18 assists for PSG in 34 appearances across all competitions. This includes 14 goals and 14 assists in 25 Ligue 1 matches, four goals and four assists in seven Champions League games and one goal in the French Super Cup.
The Portuguese, meanwhile, has recorded 14 goals and four assists in 28 appearances across all competitions. This includes three goals and two assists for Manchester United and 11 goals and two assists for his current club Al Nassr.