In an interview with ESPN UK, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka took his pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The 29-year-old was asked a series of questions about various topics. The first question on the list was about his pick between the two club footballing greats, Messi and Ronaldo. Arsenal fans will be disappointed to hear that he chose Manchester United striker and legend Ronaldo.
The question is one of the most common ones related to modern football. Apart from Ronaldo and Messi, the midfielder was asked to take his pick between two Arsenal legends and former teammates as well. They are Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. The midfielder chose Pires over the Dutch legend.
Finally, Xhaka was also asked to choose between the importance of major football trophies. He chose winning the Champions League over winning both the FIFA World Cup and the Premier League.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s careers look to be headed in different directions
Lionel Messi has begun his second season with Paris Saint-Germain. The French club have kept hold of both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar and have started the season in decent style. They won 4-0 against Nantes in the French Super Cup and opened their Ligue 1 campaign with a 5-0 victory against Clermont Foot.
Messi scored a brace, which included a sumptuous bicycle kick as well. The Argentine has the World Cup to look forward to, and Argentina are one of the favorites.
Messi knows that a good club season and World Cup success can elevate him to a higher level of greatness and also help him land an eighth Ballon d’Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, wanted to leave Manchester United but looks set to stay. The Portuguese was on the bench for the first Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion, which his team lost 1-0. There is little doubt that Ronaldo will not be happy with the way things seem to be going at the club currently.
The Portuguese scored 24 goals across competitions last summer and was easily the team’s best player. Too many of his teammates have consistently underperformed in recent months and a quick change in trend is required for the Red Devils to have a successful season.