"I honestly don't think so" - When Chelsea legend claimed he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo but not Lionel Messi

Chelsea legend Eden Hazard once claimed that he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of 'pure football' but not Lionel Messi. He also billed the Argentine superstar as the greatest in football history.

During an interview with L'Equipe, Eden Hazard was asked to give his opinion on the greatest of all time (GOAT) debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Chelsea legend lauded Messi, saying he enjoyed watching the Argentine star in Barcelona.

He also hailed Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo as a bigger football player than him. However, Hazard stated that he had been better than the former Manchester United star in terms of pure football. The Chelsea legend said:

"Individually, Messi is perhaps the only one. I loved watching the Barcelona player less so at the end, but he's the greatest in history. It's impossible to take the ball away from him. Cristiano is a bigger player than me but, in terms of pure football, I honestly don't think so."

He further added:

"Neymar, maybe. After that, he's no better than me, but at Real, you've got the best, also in terms of their careers: (Karim) Benzema, (Luka) Modric, they were the best, (Toni) Kroos, Kevin (De Bruyne), they all exclude football."

Eden Hazard joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in July 2019. However, his time at Santiago Bernabeu was doomed with injuries and he made only 76 appearances for Los Blancos, bagging seven goals and 12 assists. In October 2023, Hazard retired from football, ending his 16-year-long professional career.

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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah backs Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in GOAT debate

Tottenham Hotspur FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League - Source: Getty

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah once chose Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. As per Barca Worldwide on X (formerly Twitter), the Egyptian attacker was asked about his choice between Messi and Ronaldo in March 2024.

Responding to the question, the Reds superstar took the name of the former Barcelona attacker. He said:

"Messi, it's not a debate anymore."

Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool from Roma in July 2017. Since then, he has become one of the side's crucial players. Salah has made 374 appearances for Reds, bagging 230 goals and 104 assists across all competitions. Additionally, he's the top goalscorer in the ongoing Premier League campaign with 15 goals.