A new chapter in the sporting rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged thanks to a Premier League star.
Fulham's Alex Iwobi recognizes the immense talent possessed by these two icons of modern soccer, but one of them holds a special place in his heart, and he has named him the “best player in the world.”
Iwobi chooses his GOAT
For more than two decades, the debate over naming the greatest of all time (GOAT) has pitted two names against each other: Cristiano and Lionel, who together have won a total of 13 Ballon d’Or awards and left an indelible legacy.
That's why, when Iwobi was asked which of the two stars he chose, the former Arsenal player didn’t hesitate to pick the Argentine:
"I always say Messi. It was different because when I played against Ronaldo, the aura was incredible, but when I played against him at Camp Nou and there were him, Neymar, [Luis] Suárez, [Andrés] Iniesta, Xavi, Dani Alves, Víctor Valdés-there were names and more names,” he said on the “Beast Mode On” podcast (via GOAL).
Iwobi then recalled that tough defeat for Arsenal against Barça in March 2016 in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 and shared a curious detail about his first impression of Leo:
"This was my first Champions League start and I'm walking out and all you're hearing is, 'Messi, Messi'. Man, there's other superstars! I'm looking to my left, all of them are small by the way. Neymar's quite small. Messi's extra small… tiny, like tiny, tiny. I thought, 'Nah, there's no way', in my head, there's no way this guy has this much of a presence as a baller,” he revealed.
Meanwhile, he also compared his experience facing the Portuguese star and distinguished him from Messi:
Obviously when I played Ronaldo, it was a different stage of his career. He’s just like efficient, get him the ball, he’s going to score. Whereas when I played against Messi, every time he had the ball, there was like a radius where no one could enter that and tackle him.
Meanwhile, both the Argentine and the Portuguese continue to build on their legacies. While Leo shines at Inter Miami at age 38 and is the reigning MLS Cup champion, the Portuguese star continues to score goals for Al-Nassr despite turning 41 this year.
Furthermore, both are expected to compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Messi will defend the title he won in 2022 and CR7 will seek to bring the trophy home for the first time in history.
