Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel reveals his preference in new interview
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player he's played against, hailing the former as a superstar "from a different planet."
Obi Mikel spent the bulk of his career playing for Chelsea as a central defensive midfielder between 2006 and 2017. He made 372 appearances across all competitions, winning 11 major trophies for the Blues.
The 36-year-old faced off against many superstars, including Lionel Messi's Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Obi Mikel recently made an appearance on Rio Ferdinand's FIVE podcast where he was asked what it was like to play against Messi. The former Nigeria international waxed lyrical about the Argentine ace before adding that there was no comparison to be made with Cristiano Ronaldo.
"The way he [Messi] touches the ball, the way he passes," Obi Mikel said, "he's just for me... I know the comparison is there but because I've played against both and Messi was very very close to me. When you play against them, for me, I'm not going to say miles because of what Cristiano has done as well. But for me, I really don't see the comparison in some way because I just think Messi's from a different planet. I just think he's that good. He's that good."
When asked what his game plan against Messi was, Obi Mikel said:
"The game plan was just to kick him, get him off the ball, because we can't get the ball off him. You can't get close enough. You think he's there, he's gone."
The full clip can be viewed below:
John Obi Mikel announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 35 on September 27, 2022.
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Exploring the career stats of both superstars
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have firmly established themselves as the two greatest footballers of this generation. Both have also contested the infamous GOAT debate for over a decade, so let's take a look at their career stats.
Lionel Messi has scored 821 goals and provided 361 assists in 1045 appearances across all competitions for club and country. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner averages 73 minutes per goal contribution and has won 44 trophies, the most in football history.
In contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo has made 1194 appearances in total for club and country, netting 864 goals and registering 246 assists. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner averages 88 minutes per goal contribution and has won 35 trophies.