"The reason I was scared" - When Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Back in 2015, Steven Gerrard picked a side in the longstanding GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. At the time, the Liverpool legend had already left Europe and was playing for LA Galaxy in the MLS, where he spent two seasons before retiring.
Gerrard faced Lionel Messi just twice in his career, during the 2006-07 Champions League Round of 16, where the Reds beat Barcelona on away goals. The Merseyside legend faced former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo a total of 13 times. Out of that, nine times they faced each other while playing for Liverpool and Manchester united, twice in England and Portugal colors respectively and two more times they squared off when the Portuguese icon was playing for Real Madrid.
Despite facing Ronaldo more times, Gerrard picked Messi when he weighed in on the debate, stating (via Bleacher Report):
"To split them is almost impossible. If I was forced to pick one, I would probably go for Messi but that’s only because he’s slightly more of a team player—he might just provide more assists or final passes, but it would be 51 to 49 per cent in my mind. If that.
"We are all blessed that we are seeing these two in the same era. They are the only two opponents I’ve been afraid of in my career, because they are the only two who have been operating on a different planet to everyone else. The reason I was scared of them is because they are deadly in the final third of the pitch."
Lionel Messi went on to play 778 games for Barcelona, scoring 672 goals and providing 303 assists, before leaving in 2021. Cristiano Ronaldo played 438 games for Real Madrid, scoring a club-record 450 goals and providing 131 assists before leaving in 2018.
When Cristiano Ronaldo declared Lionel Messi rivalry "gone"
Back in 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo had declared that his rivalry with Lionel Messi had come to an end. This came after both players decided to conclude their careers in Europe, with the Portuguese icon moving to Saudi Arabia and the Argentine legend moving to the USA.
Speaking about their rivalry, Ronaldo had told the press (via ESPN):
"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi and vice versa. We've done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing.
"He's followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I've seen, he's been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don't see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years..."
Cristiano Ronaldo now plays for Al-Nassr, where he won the pre-season tournament Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami, where he won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024.