Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has chosen Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. While the Spaniard acknowledged Ronaldo as the best human, he claimed Messi’s ability on the ball made him extraterrestrial.
The GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has raged on for well over a decade even though both superstars are in the twilight of their respective careers. They have dominated the sport at the highest level, garnering a total of 13 Ballons d’Or, with Messi winning eight – the most in football history.
Pique had the luxury of sharing the pitch with both Messi and Ronaldo during his storied career. He told Corriere dello Sport (via GOAL):
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“It was always different. Cristiano was the best of humans, Leo does not belong to this planet. I saw him train every day doing amazing things, there will be no other with his speed of thought. He arrived at the age of thirteen and played in the same way both in the academy and with the first team.”
Pique played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United at the start of his senior career between 2004 and 2008. They shared the pitch 15 times across competitions, helping the Red Devils win four trophies.
However, the bulk of the 27-year-old’s success was at Barcelona, alongside Lionel Messi, between 2008 and 2021. The two legends shared the pitch 506 times, helping the Blaugrana win 29 trophies, including eight LaLiga titles and three UEFA Champions League cups.
How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fared for their respective clubs this season?
Despite being at the ages of 39 and 37 respectively, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have continued to dominate football, albeit outside Europe.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made a strong start under new manager Stefano Pioli at Al-Nassr. The Portugal icon has scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 15 appearances across all competitions. He will be aiming to win his first official trophy in the Saudi Pro League this season.
Al-Nassr suffered a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to rivals Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final in August before being knocked out of the King Cup of Champions by Al-Taawoun in October. Despite this, they are still in contention in the league, and are currently third with 22 points from 10 games, six points behind leaders Al-Hilal.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi had an excellent season with Inter Miami, inspiring the Herons to the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield. They finished at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference with 74 points from 34 games – the most in the competition’s history. However, they were unable to win any more trophies after being knocked out of the Playoffs by Atlanta United.
Messi also had a stellar season, despite missing 13 games due to injury. He garnered 23 goals and 13 assists in 25 games across competitions for Inter Miami during their 2024 campaign.
