Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo? When Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone explained his choice in the 'GOAT' debate
Diego Simeone once stated that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, and he would pick the Argentine legend over Cristiano Ronaldo. The Atletico Madrid manager claimed that his countryman was surrounded by the best players in the world, but it was not the only reason to pick him over the Portuguese star.
During the 2018 World Cup, Simeone's conversation with German Burgos after Argentina's 3-0 loss to Croatia was leaked. In the conversation, Simeone seemed to show a preference for the former Real Madrid superstar. He said (via ESPN):
"Messi is very good but he is very good because he is accompanied by extraordinary footballers. If you have to choose between Messi and Ronaldo in a normal game, who would you choose?"
However, he clarified his statement days later and claimed that Messi was the best in the world. The manager insisted that he was not hinting at picking Ronaldo over the Inter Miami star and said:
"If I had to chose between Messi and Ronaldo, then most likely I would choose Messi. Yes I said it on the video, but the conversation was between me and German Burgos, talking about football as everyone talks about it. When I talked about Messi and Ronaldo, it wasn't from the perspective of who is the best in the world. I just meant that if you have the chance to sign one of them for a normal club, with normal players, Ronaldo would probably fit in better. But with Messi, surrounded by great players, Messi is better than Ronaldo."
Diego Simeone has managed to beat Lionel Messi's Barcelona to the league title in Spain twice - 2013/14 and 2020/21. The 2013/14 win also saw his side beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid and is touted as one of the best league wins in the world.
Diego Simeone had a nickname for Cristiano Ronaldo's rival Lionel Messi
Former Atletico defender Filipe Luis has revealed that Diego Simeone had a nickname for Lionel Messi. The Brazilian claimed that the manager used to ask four players to mark the Argentine and used to refer him as 'the dwarf' in the dressing room. He told Marca:
"At Atleti, Simeone put four players on Messi! So when he scored, it was not one player's fault, it was just Messi. Before the games against Barcelona, Simeone never used Messi's name. He always called him 'the dwarf', so when we were in front of him, we would not be afraid of him."
Lionel Messi scored 32 goals in 42 matches against Atletico Madrid while Diego Simeone managed them. In 2023, the Argentine left Europe and has joined Inter Miami in the MLS.