Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? When Chelsea captain Reece James made his GOAT pick
Back in 2022, ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Chelsea captain Reece James made his pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The legendary footballers have been the two options in a long-standing debate about who the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) is, with fans and players all taking sides.
Ronaldo and Messi broke into the scene in the mid-2000s, and they have dominated the world of football in the two decades that have since passed. The duo have won a total of 13 Ballon d'Or awards, with the Argentine playmaker winning eight and the Portuguese icon winning five.
Reece James listed out the toughest opponents he had ever played against, but he did not mention Ronaldo or Messi, instead stating (via GOAL):
“3 hardest players I’ve ever played against are all left wingers! Vinicius Jr, [Rafael] Leao and [Sadio] Mane!”
When asked specifically about who the world's greatest player was, the Chelsea captain simply responded: "Ronaldo." However, he did not provide any reasons behind his decision.
During the FIFA World Cup that followed his GOAT pick, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to the quarter-finals, where they lost 1-0 to Morocco. However, Lionel Messi and Argentina clinched the World Cup, with the legendary playmaker scoring seven goals.
When Cristiano Ronaldo declared the end to his rivalry with Lionel Messi
In September 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo declared the end to his nearly two-decade long rivalry with Lionel Messi. They were both widely recognized as potential rivals in the mid-2000s, but everything hit a top gear after the Portuguese icon made the move to Real Madrid in 2009.
He spent nine years at the club, fiercely battling for domination of Spain and Europe against Lionel Messi and Barcelona. In the years that followed, though, they moved on to different leagues. Ronaldo moved on to Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr, while Messi played for Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami.
Ronaldo spoke about their rivalry in a press conference in 2023, explaining that it had come to an end (via Sports Illustrated):
"We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing. He makes his way, I make mine, even if we are playing outside of Europe. He's done well, from what I've seen. It's about continuing, the legacy continues."
He further added:
"Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi. I don't see the rivalry like that. The rivalry is gone. It was good, the spectators liked it. We shared the stage for 15 years and ended up being, I'm not saying friends, but we are professional colleagues and we respect each other."
Lionel Messi now turns up for Inter Miami in the MLS, while Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
