Chelsea manager Frank Lampard chooses between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

The Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo debate refuses to die down, and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has given his opinion regarding who he thinks is better.

The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry is seen as one of the most iconic rivalries in sport, with two of the greatest footballers to have played the game constantly dividing opinion as to who is the better player.

"I'm going to go with Lionel Messi": Chelsea boss Lampard prefers the Argentine over Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, considered to be one of the best midfielders to have played the game, admitted that he would choose Barcelona's Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I'm going to go with Messi on this on pure, natural talent but what Ronaldo has done has been absolutely incredible."

Lampard played against Cristiano Ronaldo on a consistent basis during the Portuguese's time at Manchester United.

Ronaldo departed for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record fee of €94 million, where his rivalry with Barcelona's Messi was properly shaped.

The two players have won a combined 11 Ballon d'Ors, establishing a legacy that seems impossible to replicate. Their performances have often seen sharp contrasting opinions from former players and pundits as to who has achieved more.

Lampard, for his part, is also a stalwart of the game. The England international joined Chelsea from West Ham United in 2001. He would make 648 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring an astonishing 211 goals from midfield.

On this day in 2005, Ronaldinho won the Ballon d'Or 🏆He beat Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard to top spot 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/l7C5icVksa

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 28, 2020

Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation and one of the greatest ever Premier League players, Lampard retired from playing in 2016, becoming the manager of Championship club Derby County in 2018.

After an impressive first season with the Rams, the 42-year-old returned to familiar hunting ground when Chelsea hired him as a manager in 2019.

✅ Qualified for the UCL knockouts✅ Ten games unbeaten✅ Top scorers in the PLFrank Lampard's Chelsea side are on a tear 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LjEbX3vOJH

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 24, 2020

He has been praised for building a young team with a strong core of Chelsea academy players, including Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham.

Apart from that, Lampard has been backed in the transfer market, with Chelsea bringing attackers like Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz as well as defensive reinforcements like Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy in the summer.

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