Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? That is a question every footballer in the world has faced in the media and will continue to do so for years to come. The duo is considered the greatest of all time by the vast majority of fans, and it is no surprise that they continue to dominate the headlines.
Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Rio Ferdinand Makes His Pick
Rio Ferdinand was talking to Thmanyah Sports in Saudi Arabia when they played a ‘winner stays on’ quiz with the Englishman. Kylian Mbappe beat off competition from Robert Lewandowski and Vinicius Jr, before getting the edge over Lamine Yamal, Raphina, and Jude Bellingham, too.
The Frenchman lost out to Karim Benzema, who kept his place in the race ahead of Luis Suarez. Lionel Messi then entered the frame and the Real Madrid legend stood no chance, much like Gareth Bale.
However, the final question of Cristiano Ronaldo or the Argentine legend saw Ferdinand take a moment before giving a surprise answer. He was expected to pick his former teammate straight away, but he said, “Depends on the team, but for one game, I would take Cristiano.”
This is not the first time the Manchester United legend has tried to give a politically correct answer when asked to pick between Messi and Ronaldo. While speaking to TNT Sports‘ YouTube channel in 2021, the defender said that fans should not compare the two stars and instead enjoy them.
MORE: Lionel Messi Namedrops Team He Nearly Joined Before Making Switch to Barcelona
He claimed that the current set of fans were blessed to watch the duo live in action and said, “Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi? I feel that we should just enjoy them. They’re here, we’re blessed to be a part of this generation that can sit and watch them and play against, I was fortunate enough to do that. And they’re different players to me. One is just an out and out goalscorer and one of them is more involved in the game.”
“I think Messi is the one who likes to get involved in the game and can play the final pass but also his numbers in terms of goals are ridiculous. And Cristiano is just obsessed with scoring goals and being the person that decides the match.”
Ronaldo and Messi are in the twilight of their careers and are edging closer to retirement. The Portuguese superstar signed a new deal at Al-Nassr, keeping him at the club until 2027, while the Inter Miami captain has extended his contract until 2028.
