"How does he do that?" - When Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham once named Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. The Argentinean superstar's historic rivalry with the Portuguese icon has lit up the football circuit in the past two decades.

Rarely has the world witnessed such dominance in the beautiful game, which has both united and divided the planet. CR7 and La Pulga have pushed each other to the limits of their abilities, transcending all boundaries, and splitting the world into two camps.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have added a new spice to the GOAT debate, and their influence on world football remains unmatched to this day. Players present and past have differed in their opinion on who is the greatest of all time.

Speaking during his time with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham pledged his allegiance with the Argentinean.

"Messi for me, for sure. You can just watch him and think like 'How does he do that?' Every time I watch him, he just does something that I just think 'You can't be human'," said Bellingham.

The Englishman's opinion is unlikely to please fans of Real Madrid, where Cristiano Ronaldo spent nine seasons. CR7's rivalry with Lionel Messi added more glamour to the fabled El Clasico as well. The duo faced each other 36 times in their career, with the Argentinean winning 16 times to the Portuguese's 11.

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Will Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

The 2026 FIFA World Cup could be Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's swan song. Both superstars are in the final phase of their illustrious careers but have shown no signs of slowing down.

CR7 currently plies his trade with Al-Nassr and has registered 77 goals and 18 assists from 86 games. He remains a regular for his national team as well and is expected to be in Portugal's squad for next year's event.

Speaking on the matter last year, PSG midfielder Vitinha remained hopeful that Cristiano Ronaldo will feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Of course, he will be there [at the 2026 World Cup]; he’s not going to give up,” said Vitinha.

Meanwhile, speaking in November 2024, La Pulga had remained coy about his chances of playing in the mega event.

“I don’t know (if I will play in the 2026 World Cup), they ask me a lot, especially in Argentina. I hope to finish this year well, and start the year having a good preseason, which I didn’t have last year due to all the trips we had,” said Messi.

Lionel Messi, incidentally, has already won the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Despite his statement, La Pulga is expected to make it to Lionel Scaloni's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentinean has scored 34 goals and set up 18 more from 39 games for Inter Miami so far.