"Without that characteristic he would not be there" - When Pablo Sarabia picked between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Pablo Sarabia threw his weight behind Cristiano Ronaldo when asked to choose between the Portugal star and Lionel Messi. Sarabia believes Ronaldo's "pure willpower" makes him better than Messi.
The 32-year-old forward is one of the few players who has played with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spaniard emerged from Real Madrid's academy. He made his first appearance for Real Madrid in 2010, replacing Ronaldo as a substitute as Los Blancos cruised to a 4-0 victory against Auxerre. He shared the dressing room with Lionel Messi at PSG after the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to the French capital in 2021.
In 2023, he joined Wolves from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a fee of €5 million. As a player who had shared the dressing room with both players, he seemed to be in the right position to decide who was better between the two players.
When Sarabia was asked to settle the GOAT debate, he acknowledged the incredible footballing abilities of both players, but eventually picked Ronaldo. He said (via GiveMeSport):
"For me, Ronaldo is the best player in the world. Yes it is true that Leo is supernatural, because he has pure skill, from another planet. But Cristiano is an example of pure willpower. Physically he is incredible because it seems that every day he is striving to be the best. That is an incredible quality, one that has led him to where he is now. Without that characteristic he would not be there, for sure."
Pablo Sarabia’s time with Real Madrid's senior team was a rather disappointing one. He couldn’t get playing time and was sold to Getafe the year after he made his debut. In his stint at PSG, he scored 22 goals in 98 appearances.
Sergio Ramos picks his GOAT after playing with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Spanish legend Sergio Ramos was one of those defenders who really riled up Lionel Messi during their time at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. During that period, it is safe to say that the Spanish defender would have picked teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player of all time.
In 2021, Ramos joined forces with his former foe at PSG when they both moved to the Les Parisiens. When he was asked to choose who was better between the duo, he told PSG TV (via MARCA):
"I've suffered with Messi for many years," he told PSG TV. "Now I enjoy him. He is the best player that football has ever produced."