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Chelsea star Reece James once picked his side in the eternal GOAT (Greatest of all time) debate between Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine maestro Lionel Messi. The Englishman made his pick in an interview on social media during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo and Messi formed one of the greatest sporting rivalries in history for over a decade. The pair dominated European football, racking up over 800 goals each and winning a whopping 13 Ballon d'Or titles between them (five for the former, eight for the latter).
Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, many fans speculated if it would be the last chance for the iconic forwards to lead their nation to glory. At the tournament, the Argentine captain led from the front, bagging seven goals and three assists and inspiring La Albiceleste to win the title.
During the tournament, James was asked who he would pick as his GOAT between Messi and Ronaldo. The Chelsea star simply named the ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar, without providing any justification or reasoning for his choice (via Khelnow).
While Ronaldo scored just one goal at the 2022 World Cup and endured a dismal, goalless run at EURO 2024, he played a major role in winning his nation their second-ever major trophy. Earlier this year, Portugal repeated their heroics from 2019, winning the UEFA Nations League for a second time after a 5-3 penalty shootout win over Spain in the final (2-2 in normal time).
At club level, the Portuguese forward plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, while the diminutive Argentine plies his trade for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami. The two legendary attackers have aged like fine wine, continually delivering scintillating performances despite being 40 and 38 years of age, respectively.
"For everything he's done for football" - When new Chelsea signing Estevao Willian picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Palmeiras star and imminent Chelsea signing Estevao Willian once picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate.
The 18-year-old is set to join Chelsea for a reported £29 million fee plus £20 million in add-ons. He will make the move to Stamford Bridge upon the conclusion of Palmeiras' campaign at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Estevao, who has been christened 'Little Messi', has regularly lavished praise on the Argentine superstar. In an interview with The Guardian in October 2024, he claimed that he held the 38-year-old as his 'reference' for 'everything' he has achieved in football.
The youngster said (via InterMiami.news):
"I like Neymar a lot too, Cristiano Ronaldo. But my reference is Messi for everything he’s done for football. The way he plays and what he does off the pitch is a guy I always have to look up to. And, of course, for me being left-footed like him favours as well."
Up next, Estevao will be seen in action for Palmeiras against his future side, Chelsea, in the Club World Cup quarterfinal on Friday (July 4).
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Aaryan Nagraj
Aaryan has been covering European football at Sportskeeda since the start of 2024. He is pursuing an integrated M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at NIT Rourkela, and tends to rely on his proclivity for numbers and statistics for his content, making the most of websites like Transfermarkt and FotMob. He is also a district level basketball and table tennis player.
A Borussia Dortmund fan, Aaryan had his first tryst with football during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite his young mind being influenced by Lionel Messi's exploits, his favorite World Cup moment is Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain from the 2018 version. He strongly believes that Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz can replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their respective potentials.
Aaryan, who has been on commentary panels for football and cricket tournaments at his university, is a huge admirer of Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan's loan stint in Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who impressed him with his excellent tactical nous and benignant man-management skills.
When he is not scouring the internet for unique statistics, Aaryan follows the Indian Super League, the A-League, and the Saudi Pro League among others. He is an avid quizzer and debater, and a trained classical and western musician who likes to rock out for his college band, Euphony, as lead vocalist and guitarist.
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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee