Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and more: Manchester United legend Gary Neville builds ideal footballer
Gary Neville selected the trickery of his former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's left foot when building his ideal footballer. GOAL asked Neville to provide various qualities to build a formidable player.
The Red Devils icon chose Lionel Messi's left foot, which has been deadly throughout his illustrious career. With his potent left foot, he scored 459 of his 737 goals for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami.
England set-piece master David Beckham's right foot earned its place in Neville's ideal footballer. He also highlighted Brazilian icon Romario and his speed.
Neville was quick to respond with Cristiano Ronaldo when asked about skills. Club and international football's all-time top scorer hasn't just bagged goals he's put on a show while doing so.
Ronaldo is renowned for his silky skillset, mostly stepovers, which leaves defenders dumbfounded. He has a glowing highlight reel of tricks he's pulled out of the bag.
Neville stayed loyal to Manchester United and went with Jaap Stam for strength and Paul Scholes for footballing IQ. They were two of Sir Alex Ferguson's talismanic figures at Old Trafford.
Lionel Messi's left foot has created many magical moments during the career of football's most decorated player. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner strikes a wicked free-kick by curling the ball into the top corner.
Cristiano Ronaldo's trickery mesmerized fans at United as he wasn't as physically imposing as he was at Madrid. Instead, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner prioritised using his speed and quick feet to tear the opposition apart.
Cristiano Ronaldo's ex-Manchester United teammate Paul Scholes sided with Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate
Scholes played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for six years at Manchester United. They were two of the Red Devils' most important players as Sir Alex's Reds won three Premier League titles, the Champions League and five other major trophies.
The former United playmaker was asked six years ago who the GOAT was between Ronaldo and his longtime rival Lionel Messi. He went with the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner:
"Messi, but Ronaldo is brilliant. Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power. He scores, he takes free-kicks. But as an all-round footballer, Messi – wow, his passing – has absolutely everything."
The iconic duo has forged one of the most remarkable sporting rivalries. Messi's exploits in captaining Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 saw the tide shift majorly in his favor. That said, many are still fighting Ronaldo's corner by pointing to his achievements at club level.