“Number one, for sure” - Pique makes opinion clear as he picks between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in GOAT debate

Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has picked Lionel Messi as his choice in the GOAT debate over Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spaniard claims his former club teammate has shown that he can be the best in the world even at the age of 35.

Pique shared the dressing room with Messi at Barcelona, and the duo won several titles together. The two are no longer at Camp Nou as the Argentine joined PSG on a free transfer, while the defender announced retirement last year to help the club in their financial crisis.

Thank you for everything, legend @3gerardpique!

#Sempr3 https://t.co/v5Kupt0v1c

Speaking on John Nellis’ YouTube channel, Pique was quick to back his former teammate as the best player ever. He pointed to Messi's recent performances, especially in the FIFA World Cup, and said:

“Well, it’s true that the fight between them two in the last decade was quite impressive because both of them did incredibly well. I think that in terms of talent, Messi is number one, for sure. It’s true that Cristiano has worked very hard to try and compete and fight for that first spot but if you see the careers of both… I would choose Messi, for sure. He showed that even though he’s 35 he can compete as the best player in the world. He showed it in the World Cup.”

Barcelona legend no longer in contact with Lionel Messi

Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi are said to have been very close during their time together at Barcelona. However, things seem to have changed lately and the former defender confirmed that he has not been in touch with the Argentinian forward.

Lionel Messi draped in #FIFAWorldCup immortality 💫🏆 https://t.co/WBx4jUIUQ7

Upon being asked if he and Messi are still in contact, Pique said:

“Erm… not really. This is crazy but it’s true, I was disconnected from the World Cup. Since my retirement I needed to disconnect from sport, so I didn’t watch any games apart from the final [Lionel Messi scored twice] - and not the whole game. I tried to disconnect, I went on holiday for a few days. My last few months were tough as a pro and I really needed to disconnect from football.”