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Gareth Bale has chosen the GOAT between Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, Harry Kane and himself, shifting his allegiance from his previous stance.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely considered two of the greatest players to grace the game, sharing a staggering 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them - the most coveted individual award in the sport.
Bale had the chance to see both players from close proximity during his time at Real Madrid. The Welshman joined Los Blancos in 2013 when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were at the peak of their powers.
Bale combined with Karim Benzema and Ronaldo to form one of the most iconic attacking trios at Los Blancos. He played 157 matches with Ronaldo, providing 32 assists to the Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo, meanwhile, assisted nine goals scored by Gareth Bale. The Welshman played against Messi on 15 occasions, winning thrice and losing nine times.
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Bale featured in a YouTube video (by Futcrunch) where he was asked to rank five greats in a blind challenge. He didn't hesitate to place Ronaldo at the top of the list, followed by Messi. Ronaldo Nazario, Harry Kane, and himself in the top five.
When the Welshman was previously asked to name the best player to have won the Champions League, he chose Messi (via Mirror).
Lionel Messi has won the competition four times, one fewer than Ronaldo, who won his first title in the competition with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United (2008).
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo not shortlisted for Ballon d'Or for the first time in two decades
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were conspicuous by their absence as France Football released the names of the Ballon d'Or 2024 nominees, their first absence in the shortlist in two decades. The two had established a duopoly over the award during their peak, with Messi winning eight times and Ronaldo five.
That was despite both juggernauts enjoying a stellar 2023-24 season. Messi helped Inter Miami lift the Leagues Cup in 2023 - the club's first piece of silverware. The Argentine also captioned his national team to 2024 Copa America glory.
On the other side of the globe, Cristiano Ronaldo netted a whopping 44 goals and 13 assists in 45 games for the Knights of Najd. However, the Portuguese failed to secure any trophy for Al-Nassr.
