Arsenal star Jakub Kiwior names Real Madrid legend as his favorite player over Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo 

Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has named Sergio Ramos ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as his top five footballers. Raheem Sterling, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kiwior were recently asked to name their favorite footballers by Sky Sports.

The Portuguese and the Argentine legends have been dominating the best-player rankings for almost two decades now. Even though the duo are in the final phase of their careers, the world remains divided on who is better among the two.

Sterling named Ronaldo at No. 5 and Messi at No. 3, while choosing Brazilian legend Ronaldinho as his GOAT.

"Cristiano Ronaldo at fifth, which is mad for me, then R9 (Ronaldo Nazario) four, Messi three, Neymar two, Ronaldinho one," Sterling said.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, however, was clear that the Argentine icon was his favorite.

"R9, Thierry (Henry), Ronaldinho, Cristiano, Messi," Zinchenko said.

Jakub Kiwior placed Messi ahead of the Portuguese star but mentioned Sergio Ramos as his favorite footballer.

"Ronaldo (Nazario), Ronaldinho, I can say (Cristiano) Ronaldo, Messi, (and at the top) Sergio Ramos," Kiwior said.

Kiwior's choice can be understood given that he is a defender himself. Ramos has played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Messi at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

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How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi performed this season?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is plying his trade at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Lionel Messi is with MLS side Inter Miami. The Portuguese icon moved to the Middle East in December 2022 and has continued his goalscoring exploits with the Riyadh-based club.

This season, the 39-year-old has registered 11 goals and three assists from 16 games across competitions. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also crossed the fabled 900-goal mark in his career in September this year.

Ronaldo now has 911 goals and 256 assists from 1252 games for club and country. His contract with Al-Nassr expires at the end of this season.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, moved to Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 after the expiry of his PSG contract. The Argentine icon helped the MLS side win the Leagues Cup last season and guided them to the Supporters' Shield this year.

The 37-year-old registered 23 goals and 13 assists from 25 games across competitions. However, his efforts weren't enough for the Herons to secure the MLS Cup.