“Impossible to imitate and impossible to repeat” - When Marco van Basten made his choice in Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate

Marco van Basten once unequivocally chose Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the never-ending debate about who the better footballer is. The Dutch legend insisted that it is impossible to replicate what Messi does on the pitch.

Ronaldo and Messi are arguably the two greatest footballers to grace the game. The two superstars were at the height of their rivalry during their time in La Liga, clashing in numerous El Clasicos.

Both players have broken countless records and won a host of accolades. The Portuguese legend is the top goalscorer of all time with a whopping 903 goals to his name. Lionel Messi trails in second in that regard, having scored 841 goals across his career.

Meanwhile, the Argentine ace has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, while Ronaldo has won five. The matter of who the greatest footballer of all time is has been argued ceaselessly and Van Basten once offered his two cents on the matter.

Back in 2020, the AC Milan icon, while acknowledging Cristiano Ronaldo's greatness, insisted that he was no match for Lionel Messi. The Dutchman claimed anyone who chooses Ronaldo over Messi knows nothing about the sport.

He said (via GIVEMESPORT):

“Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi know nothing about football, or they are saying it in bad faith. Messi is one of a kind. Impossible to imitate and impossible to repeat. A player like him comes along every 50 or 100 years.”

On the international stage, Ronaldo has won the European Championships and the UEFA Nations League, while Messi has lifted the World Cup and two Copa America trophies.

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When Chelsea star Cole Palmer picked between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Chelsea star Cole Palmer once made his pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the greatest of all-time debates.

The Blues signed Palmer from Manchester City in 2023 and the England international has been in exceptional form since he arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer, who has already racked up 31 goals and 19 assists in 53 games across competitions for the Blues, scored four goals in Chelsea's 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, September 28.

In an interview involving quick-fire questions with the PFA, Palmer was asked about the best players in different facets of the game, such as finishing, and passing.

When asked to choose between each player in the final list of answers, it came down to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and Palmer went for the Argentine legend.

"Messi or KDB? Messi. Mbappe or Wayne Rooney? Mbappe. Cole Palmer or Toni Kroos? Toni Kroos. CR7 or Neymar? CR7. Messi or Mbappe? Messi. Kroos or CR7? CR7. CR7 or Messi? Messi," said Palmer.