"It's a massive thing" - When Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate explained why he would pick Lionel Messi as the GOAT

Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate Kieran Richardson recently explained why he would pick Lionel Messi over the Portugal legend. The duo are the biggest legends of the game, with Ronaldo playing in Saudi Arabia, while his Argentine counterpart plays in the USA.

Richardson notably spent five seasons on the training ground at Old Trafford with a younger Ronaldo, sharing the pitch 43 times. Since then, the Portuguese striker went on to Real Madrid, where he won four of his five Ballons d'Or and became their highest-ever goalscorer.

However, Richardson didn't qualify Cristiano Ronaldo as better than Lionel Messi after the latter's FIFA World Cup win. On the Steven Sulley Podcast, he shared his thoughts (via GOAL):

"They're both the GOATs. But if I had to pick one, then I have to pick Messi, even though I know Ronaldo, I've played with Ronaldo, I love Ronaldo. When they pass away, they'll still be talked about forever, but just because Messi got that World Cup.

"It's a massive thing having that World Cup, because even before Messi had the World Cup, everyone was saying, 'yeah, but he hasn't won it yet.'"

Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus, before making a short second stint at Manchester United, before landing at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He won the Golden Boot in the Saudi Pro League after scoring a record 35 goals last season.

Lionel Messi has also left Barcelona in 2021, joining Paris Saint-Germain after the Catalan giants could not afford to renew his contract on time. He left the French giants after two years, switching to Inter Miami in the MLS, where he has already won the US Open Cup.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo unlikely to play at 2026 World Cup

It is uncertain that Cristiano Ronaldo will play at the 2026 World Cup, after what has been an abysmal outing for Portugal in EURO 2024. The legendary striker was unable to score a goal for the first time at a major tournament. He appeared in a record six editions of EUROs and confirmed that it would be his last.

The case may be a little different for Lionel Messi, who is two years younger than 39-year-old Ronaldo. He still remains a vital part of the Argentina national team. Of course, the magician has won the World Cup, securing the elusive trophy in 2022.

He currently plays in the USA, which could give him enough reason to compete in the tournament, which is also being partly hosted in the North American country. For Ronaldo, winning the World Cup has not yet happened. He may still push for one more trophy with his country, albeit unpopularly.