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Polish striker Karol Swiderski has picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview two days before Poland's clash against Portugal. The two teams will face off in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Nations League on Saturday (October 12) at the National Stadium Warsaw.
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has dominated football discourse for just less than two decades. During their primes, they established an unparalleled duopoly over world football, scoring over 1700 goals (combined) and bagging 13 Ballons d'Or between them.
Lionel Messi is lauded for his extraordinary dribbling ability, vision, and goalscoring prowess. He has won eight Ballons d'Or. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is considered one of the best goalscorers in history and praised for his work ethic, athleticism, and determination.
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Polish striker Karol Swiderski chose to go for team Cristiano Ronaldo when asked about his pick in the GOAT debate. In an interview before Poland's Nations League clash, he was asked (via @TheNassrZone on X):
"Cristiano is your inspiration? Are you team Ronaldo or team Messi?"
He answered:
"Since I was a kid I think I was on Ronaldo's team so I'm happy about that. At the end of his career, I can say that I will have the opportunity to see him up close."
After scoring over 1400 goals (combined) in Europe, both Messi and Ronaldo left the continent to play football in the United States and Saudi Arabia, respectively. While Lionel Messi is filling stadiums playing for MLS outfit Inter Miami, Ronaldo is breaking records with Saudi side Al-Nassr.
When Lionel Messi opened up about his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi once opened up about his longstanding rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo. It began in earnest when the Portuguese joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009.
From then on, El Clasicos were elevated from more than just a match - they became footballing spectacles for the entire world to witness. Messi opened up about this iconic rivalry in a 2019 interview when he was asked about a player he thought was on his level. He said (via Football Italia):
“There are so many good players now. Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Luis Suarez, Eden Hazard, any of them could become the best in the world.
When asked about Ronaldo, he said:
“I didn’t include Cristiano Ronaldo in that list, because I consider him to be on the same level as me. It was fun to play against him, even if he made me suffer too. It irritated me seeing Real Madrid lift trophies."
“I do wish he was still in Spain, but I have a great deal of respect for Juventus. They seem a very strong squad, with excellent players, and are now even stronger with Cristiano.”
Lionel Messi has faced Cristiano Ronaldo a total of 36 times in his career across competitions. The Argentine leads the tally with 16 wins against Ronaldo's 11. Nine games ended in a stalemate.
Messi and Ronaldo departed LaLiga as the league's all-time best goalscorer (474) and the all-time second-best goalscorer (311), respectively.
