Lionel Messi opens up on ‘GOAT’ debate with fellow legend Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘It is all the time been an awesome battle…’

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stand out as two of one of the best footballers of their era, and among the many biggest to have ever performed the ‘Lovely Recreation’. The 2 started their senior careers in a span of a few years and would go on to share what is among the biggest rivalries in sporting historical past. And selecting the ‘Best Of All Time’ (GOAT) between the 2 international superstars is among the many most fiercely-debated subjects in sport.

Ronaldo and Messi are two of the best goal-scorers in soccer historical past – whether or not in worldwide or membership soccer or each. Portuguese legend Ronaldo, who has represented iconic golf equipment similar to Actual Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus and presently performs for Saudi Professional League membership Al-Nassr, is presently forward when it comes to aim depend – general in addition to the membership and nation classes.

Barcelona legend Messi, who has additionally represented Paris Saint-Germain and presently performs for Inter Miami in Main League Soccer, leads Ronaldo on the subject of the awards – whether or not it’s the ‘Ballon d’or’ (8 to five) or ‘The Finest FIFA Males’s Participant’ (3 to 2).

Messi additionally has what Portuguese icon Ronaldo has been chasing his whole profession – the FIFA World Cup, serving to Argentina win their third title in Qatar almost three years in the past.

Messi provides his tackle his iconic rivalry with Ronaldo

Regardless of their intense rivalry that spanned greater than a decade and had reached its zenith when Messi and Ronaldo had been enjoying for Barcelona and Actual Madrid respectively within the LaLiga, the 2 retain a way of mutual respect for each other.

And when requested for his private opinion on his rivalry with Ronaldo and who the GOAT between the 2 actually is, Messi retained that sense of respect for the 40-year-old, saying they each deserved credit score for staying on the high for thus lengthy and being the architects of a “golden period”.

“It’s all the time been an awesome battle in sporting phrases. I believe we’ve fed off one another with this rivalry as a result of we’re each nice rivals. He too all the time needed to win on a regular basis,” Messi informed France Soccer.

“It was a golden period for us and for each soccer fan. We deserve lots of credit score for staying on the high for thus lengthy. As a result of, as they are saying, it’s simple to get there however what’s tough is staying there.

“We stayed on the high for ten, fifteen years. It was a spectacular and stays an awesome reminiscence for everybody,” the 37-year-old added.

Messi and Ronaldo presently are within the twilight of their careers, and followers are hopeful of witnessing the 2 soccer titans share the pitch one final time, presumably in subsequent 12 months’s FIFA World Cup that can be co-hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada.