"For me he has to be number one" - When Wojciech Szczesny picked his GOAT between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Back in 2024, Wojciech Szczesny made his choice in the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The goalkeeper played four games against Ronaldo while the legendary Portuguese striker was still at Real Madrid. However, they went on to play over 100 games together at Juventus.

While Szczesny did not play alongside Messi at any point, the duo faced each other seven times while the legendary playmaker was at Barcelona. Now, the goalkeeper has now joined up with Barca, where Messi once played.

For the Polish shot-stopper, the legendary Blaugrana captain is his choice in the debate. Speaking with the press last year, he explained (via Yahoo! Sports):

“Ronaldo and Messi are very different, they are both great players and for me, they are the best players in history. For the beauty of football that Messi has shown in the last 20 years, for me he has to be number one.”

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the greatest players in the history of football. The Argentine playmaker has already crossed the 800-career goals mark, while Ronaldo has crossed the 900-mark. They have now left Europe for other shores, but they remain two of the most-followed superstars in the world of football.

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When Cristiano Ronaldo called for an end to rivalry with Lionel Messi

Back in 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo made it clear that his long-time rivalry with Lionel Messi had ended. The duo left Europe that year, with the Portugal legend moving to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr. His Argentine counterpart moved across the pond, joining Inter Miami in the USA.

During a press conference in the Gulf country, Ronaldo admitted that the battle for supremacy had ended. He said (via ESPN):

"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi and vice versa. We've done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing.

"He's followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I've seen, he's been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don't see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I'm not saying we're friends... but we're professional colleagues and we respect each other."

Both players raised the bar for footballers across the world, winning a combined 13 Ballon d'Or awards. While Cristiano Ronaldo clinched five of the coveted accolades, Lionel Messi racked up an unprecedented eight.