Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? When Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard made his pick 

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard once picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi when asked to choose between the two footballing superstars. The statement came in 2015 when the midfielder had arrived at Real Madrid from Norwegian side Stromsgodset Toppfotball.

At the time, Odegaard was just 16 years old and made his switch to the Spanish giants in a high-profile signing, given his exploits in his home country at such a young age.

However, after earning his promotion to the senior team two years later, Odegaard struggled to establish himself at the Bernabeu and was sent on a series of loans. He managed just 11 first-team appearances during his time at Real Madrid.

Speaking at his unveiling conference in the Spanish capital, Odegaard was asked to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He picked the Portuguese superstar, hailing him as the best player in the world at the time.

Odegaard said (via Bleacher Report):

"So far Ronaldo. Difficult to single one (Madrid player to look up to) but Cristiano is the best in the world right now."

Arsenal secured Odegaard's services in 2021 for a reported £30 million fee and the Norway international has been a marquee player since then. He received the captain's armband a year into his tenure at the Emirates, playing an instrumental role in the Gunners' title challenges over the past two seasons.

Odegaard has made 156 appearances for the north Londoners, scoring 35 goals and providing 25 assists. This season, however, he has made just three appearances due to an ankle injury.

"Stop this bu****it" - Paul Pogba gives his take on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba has offered his opinion on the never-ending GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The superstar duo are arguably the greatest players to have ever graced the game, but the matter of who the superior footballer is has been disputed ceaselessly.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have a whopping 13 Ballons d'Or between them and are the top two goalscorers in the history of the sport.

During a stream with YouTube sensation IShowSpeed, Pogba was asked to give his take on the debate. The 32-year-old said:

“For me, there is no Ronaldo vs. Messi—stop this bu****it. If I’m making a team and need to score goals, I would take Cristiano. If I need a playmaker who can score goals and make assists, I would take Messi every day.”