Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Adebayor picks his GOAT

Former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi in the everlasting GOAT debate.

The Portuguese icon, along with his Argentine rival, are widely considered some of the best players to have set foot on a football pitch. Providing his take on who the better of the two is, Adebayor said in an interview with Sky Sports (via Afrique Sports):

"I know I'm going to get criticized, but I prefer Cristiano Ronaldo. He's the GOAT for me."

After enjoying a stellar career in Europe, Ronaldo decided to move to Saudi Arabia in January 2023, where he now represents Al-Nassr. Throughout his club career, the 39-year-old striker has bagged 759 goals across competitions in 1012 matches.

He's a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, three short of Messi's tally and has also lifted the UEFA Champions League the same number of times. Ronaldo was crowned Premier League champion on three occasions with Manchester United. He also won the Serie A and La Liga titles twice each.

On the other hand, Messi has also stood out in terms of prizes and achievements in the sport. Most well known for his stint at Barcelona, the 36-year-old won La Liga 10 times with the Catalan club and helped them to three UEFA Champions League trophies.

The Inter Miami attacker has bagged 727 senior career goals from 880 matches across competitions. He also led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, bagging seven goals and three assists in the competition.

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How are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi performing currently for their respective teams?

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to show his class, even though he is edging closer to the age of 40. This season, he finished as the highest single-season goalscorer ever in the history of the Saudi Pro League, netting 35 goals in 31 matches.

However, his efforts couldn't help the Riyadh-based side claim the Saudi Pro League title, eventually finishing second and 14 points behind winners Al Hilal. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has also proved to be a vital asset for his MLS outfit this campaign.

So far, the former Barcelona man has played 14 matches across competitions, bagging 13 goals and 11 assists. With Messi's brilliant form, the Herons are sitting top of the Eastern Conference standings, a point ahead of second-placed Cincinnati, who have a game in hand.