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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is among the footballing greats to have had their say in the Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi debate. He has chosen the Argentine maestro over the Portuguese icon in this debate for the ages.
Ronaldo and Messi have established themselves as the best players of their generation. It is telling that only Real Madrid star Luka Modric has been able to win the Ballon d'Or apart from the two forwards since 2008.
At 37 and 34 years of age respectively, Ronaldo and Messi are heading towards the end of their careers. However, debates about who is best between the two continue to go on among fans and those within the game alike.
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Gerrard is one such footballing personality who has expressed his thoughts on the Ronaldo versus Messi debate in the past. The Liverpool great's view on who he prefers between the two has now resurfaced online.
The Aston Villa manager feels Ronaldo and Messi are on a different level to everyone else in the game. However, he prefers the Argentinean over the Manchester United superstar, who he thinks is more of an individual player than a team player. Gerrard was quoted as saying by Give Me Sport:
“There are certain players who are on a different level to anyone else out there, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But Ronaldo doesn’t get in my team. I am more about what you are going to do for the team. What are we going to achieve together? Ronaldo will win you things but I am more about a team player than an individual player, so I’ll always go down that road.”
It is also possible that the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United influenced Gerrard's preference when it comes to the 'Greatest of All Time' debate.
Gerrard and Ronaldo have been an important part of Premier League folklore, playing against each other on several occasions. Interestingly though, Messi and Gerrard have played against each other only twice competitively. This was during the 2006-07 Champions League Round of 16 across two legs where the Merseysiders prevailed 2-2 on aggregate on away goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are nearing the end of their careers
Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a return to Manchester United, who he left for Real Madrid in 2009, last summer. He scored 24 goals and provided three assists from 38 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils in the recently-concluded season.
The Portugal international has one more year remaining on his contract with Manchester United. However, there is also an option to extend the deal by another season.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi put an end to his 21-year association with Barcelona and joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last year. He endured a difficult debut season in France, scoring 11 goals and providing 15 assists in 34 matches in all competitions.
Like Ronaldo, Messi's contract with PSG comes to an end at the end of the 2022-23 season.
