“It’s a difficult question" - When Arsenal hero Mesut Ozil explained why Lionel Messi was better than Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil had once explained his reasoning behind picking Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair have earned achievements galore and have comfortably placed themselves among the sport's greatest ever.
In 2022, Messi added to his glittering club career the crown jewel of football, lifting the World Cup in Qatar. While Ronaldo is yet to achieve that, he does have an international trophy to his name, winning the Euros in 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League with Portugal.
In October this year, Ozil had suggested that the Argentine superstar's World Cup triumph handed him an edge in the debate between the two.
He had said (via Pulse Sports):
“It’s a difficult question... but I will choose Messi because he won the World Cup."
At club level, Lionel Messi dominated Spain with Barcelona for the better part of a decade from his introduction to the side in 2004 until his departure in 2021. A stint with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain followed after which he left to join the MLS in the summer of 2023. In all, he has 744 goals and 357 assists in 914 appearances throughout his career, along with 112 goals and a joint-record 58 assists in 191 games for Argentina.
The Al-Nassr hero, meanwhile, is on the path to reaching the sensational landmark of 1000 goals in his career. Standing at 915, he will hope to continue his strong performances in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr as well as the national side take him to the target.
Robert Lewandowski reacts after joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in elite UCL club
Robert Lewandowski expressed his happiness on becoming just the third player to score 100 goals in the Champions League after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Polish superstar suggested that he always tried to be close to the pair and the achievement was an indication of his efforts in doing so.
In a video released on Instagram by Laureus Sport, he said:
“Looking back, I can be proud of myself. I can be very happy because I was the player who tried to be close to them."
He entered Barcelona's game against Stade Brestois with 99 goals to his name. A penalty in the first half took him to three figures before he added another late in the game.
Ronaldo still stands as the highest scorer in the competition's history with 140 goals. Lionel Messi is second behind him with 129. Should he continue to enjoy this rate of goalscoring for a few more seasons, Lewandowski could be in line to overtake the pair.