“I think he’s superior” - New Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli chooses between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in GOAT debate

Al-Nassr's new boss Stefano Pioli has picked between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after his first game managing the Knights of Najd. The two are considered the best players to have ever graced the game and have been prevailing at the top of the game for the last two decades.

Messi and Ronaldo have scored over 1700 goals (combined), maintaining a 10-year duopoly (2008-2017) over the Ballon d'Or - football's most coveted individual award.

While the world remains divided between the two juggernauts of the game, Stefano Pioli has made his choice known in a recent interview (via Geo News).

"I think Cristiano Ronaldo is superior to Lionel Messi, he has scored more goals than games," said Stefano Pioli when asked to choose between the GOATs (Greatest Of All Time).

Pioli's statement came after the Portuguese scored the 902nd goal of his career against Al-Ettifaq in a 3-0 win on September 20. The former AC Milan boss made a strong start to his managerial career in the Middle East thanks to strikes from Cristino Ronaldo (33'), Salem Al-Najdi (56'), and Talisca (70').

On the other side of the globe, Lionel Messi recently returned after being sidelined for two months because of an ankle injury sustained during the Copa America 2024 final.

The Argentine scored a brace (26', and 30') in his comeback game against Philadelphia Union on September 14. It cemented The Herons' position at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference table with 63 points.

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"Cristiano is totally different to Messi" - When Carlos Tevez highlighted what separated Lionel Messi from Cristiano Ronaldo

Independiente v River Plate - Copa de la Liga Profesional 2024 - Source: Getty

In a 2018 interview with ESPN Argentina, Carlos Tevez explained the differences between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. According to the former Argentina forward, Cristiano Ronaldo was a product of hard work while it all came naturally to Lionel Messi.

“Cristiano is totally different to Messi,” explained Tevez (as per One Football). When Leo was starting out, he didn’t touch a gym. But Cristiano was there in the morning, afternoon and evening, all the time."

He continued:

"Cristiano had to work and prepare himself to be the best, while, for Leo, it comes naturally. Those are the greatest differences that I see between the two best players on the planet. Messi plays another sport. For Messi to score three goals (in any given game) is normal."

Carlos Tevez has shared the pitch with both Ronaldo and Messi during his time with Manchester United and the national side, respectively.

With Lionel Messi, the Argentine has played 47 matches in Albiceleste colors. Messi assisted four goals scored by Tevez while the latter returned the favor six times.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has shared the pitch 80 times with Tevez. In those matches, each has provided an assist to the other four times.