"What Cristiano Ronaldo did was harder than what Lionel Messi did" - Julio Baptista explains why he believes Portugal star is the GOAT
Former Brazil international Julio Baptista has named Cristiano Ronaldo the greatest of all-time (GOAT) ahead of his eternal rival Lionel Messi. The two superstars have dominated world football for almost two decades, winning as many as 13 Ballon d'Ors between them.
Over the years, the GOAT debate has divided fans and pundits into two sections. Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have had a loyal fanbase, with both sets of fans hailing their favorite as the GOAT.
Julio Baptista has now said that he rates Ronaldo higher than Messi as he feels that the Portuguese superstar has had to deal with more challenges. He insisted that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner proved himself in various leagues, which is not the case with Messi. The former Real Madrid and Arsenal forward told FootballItalia, as quoted by Desporto AO Minuto:
"If I had to choose, I think I would have to take into account the fact that it was harder for Cristiano. He was voted the best player in the world at Manchester United, he won the Champions League at Manchester United, which was a little more difficult."
The 47-cap former Brazil international added:
"Messi was always with good players, but Cristiano played in several different places. So for me, what Cristiano did was harder than what Messi did. Ronaldo has more variety in the CV, and I think we should applaud him for that and reward him as GOAT, too"
Lionel Messi spent the best years of his career at Barcelona, where he helped the Blaugrana win numerous trophies. He scored 672 goals and produced 303 assists in 778 appearances for them.
Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, enjoyed the best years of his career at Real Madrid. However, he also enjoyed plenty of success with both Manchester United and Juventus.
When Kevin De Bruyne picked his ideal teammate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne seemingly preferred Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi while picking his ideal teammate. The Belgium international has been heavily linked to both the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer as he is set to leave the Cityzens upon his contract expiry this summer.
When asked to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as his ideal teammate, he picked the former. He told Wow Hydrate, as quoted by One Football:
"I would say Cristiano Ronaldo because he’s more of a typical striker. Lionel Messi is more of a playmaker. I’m a playmaker, you can give me a striker."
De Bruyne has announced that he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, with his contract coming to an end. He spent a decade at the Etihad and helped the Cityzens win every major trophy in England and Europe. The 33-year-old played 415 times for the Cityznes over the years, scoring 107 goals and providing 177 assists.