Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? When Michael Owen settled GOAT debate with 'all-round player' claim

Former Premier League striker Michael Owen made his pick in the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo debate back in 2017. He chose the Portuguese over his Argentine counterpart due to the former's all-round abilities.

Owen's comments came after Ronaldo scored a scintillating hat-trick in the second leg of Real Madrid's 2016/17 UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinal against Bayern Munich. The former Liverpool man opined that while Messi is a cut above the rest in some areas, his arch-rival is the better player overall.

He said on BT Sport (via Express):

"He just doesn't miss, does he? The chances he misses you can count on one hand in his career. Goalscoring is the hardest art in football and he makes it look so easy. Head, left foot, right foot.

"Messi is a decent header of a ball but if you're looking at all-round players, you go head-to-head with Messi and Ronaldo, you'd say Ronaldo has a lot more different attributes, let's say.

"He's probably always been quicker, right foot, left foot and header of a ball. I think Messi is outstanding in certain attributes but as an all-round physique, Ronaldo is such an all-round player."

Los Blancos went on to win the 2016/17 edition of the Champions League. They got the better of Atletico Madrid in the semifinals before beating Juventus comfortably in the final. With the triumph, they became the first-ever team to successfully defend their UCL title.

How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fared for their respective sides this season?

Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this summer and hit the ground running almost immediately. He scored 10 goals in just seven Leagues Cup matches to lead his side to the title, their first trophy since inception in 2018.

Messi then helped Miami reach the final of the US Open Cup, assisting twice in the semifinal against Cincinnati. He also scored on his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut against the NY Red Bulls on Saturday, August 26.

Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, moved to the Saudi Pro League in December last year, joining Al Nassr. His debut season didn't go to plan as he failed to help his side win a trophy.

However, early in the second term, he led them to the Arab Club Champions Cup title, scoring six times in the tournament, including twice in the final. The Portuguese also recently scored a hat-trick in Al Nassr's 5-0 win over Al Fateh in the Saudi Pro League.

Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 22 matches for Al Nassr across competitions. Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has 11 goals and three assists in nine matches for Miami.