"Took football and put it in a different place!" - Former Turkish player hails impact of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on football as a sport
Former Turkish footballer Nihat Kahveci has hailed the impact of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the popularity of the game. He says that they are the game's biggest stars and have delivered for years.
The Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate has been going on for years, but there's no clear winner. The duo have pushed each other beyond their limits and have 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them.
Speaking to NUTSPOR, Kahveci said that Messi and Ronaldo are the best players ever and are the reason for taking football to the next level:
"Messi and Ronaldo took football and put it in a different place! Ronaldinho, one of the world's biggest stars. 2 good seasons, 1-2 seasons not the same... with Messi and Ronaldo, we never had this.
"It has no relevance with money. If you have €1m or €100m, it's the same life. There is no difference."
Speaking about the duo's exit from Europe, Kahveci added:
"One went to America; one went to Saudi Arabia; still, they are scoring goals. This is two characters pushing each other. They love each other, but they live off each other, too. For years, we have been watching these two. We are lucky. ... it's unbelievable."
Messi has been doing well at Inter Miami with 11 goals in 10 games across competitions, while Ronaldo has scored five goals in his last two league games.
Peter Crouch on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo
Peter Crouch has made a bold statement on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. He says that anyone who picks the Portuguese star over the Argentine lacks football knowledge.
On his podcast in 2022, he said that he looks down on people who pick Ronaldo over Messi:
"I don't know if I should say this or not. I feel if you say Ronaldo, you don't know football very well. I think Ronaldo is incredible - incredible - but I do look a little bit down on you if you say Ronaldo."
Crouch has faced Lionel Messi twice in his club career, both with Liverpool, winning once and losing the other. The Englishman has played Cristiano Ronaldo nine times for club and country, losing seven times.