“It will be hard to argue with that” - Roy Keane and Ian Wright snub Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as they name greatest ever sportsperson

Ian Wright and Roy Keane have snubbed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to name Muhammed Ali as the greatest-ever sportsperson. They believe that the legendary boxer had the biggest influence and is thus the greatest.

On Stick to Football, the legendary footballers discussed the greatest sportspersons and agreed on Ali quickly. The Arsenal legend was the first to comment. He said (via Sport Bible):

“The one who has had the biggest influence on myself and the time he was at his best is Muhammad Ali. He’s magnificent because of what he did outside of the ring. He was heavily criticized for not going to Vietnam – he didn’t want to go. He said, ‘Why am I going to kill in Vietnam, my enemies are here in America.’ He stood by that, and you can imagine what he went through. He did the shortest-ever poem; ‘Me, We.’"

Keane swiftly agreed with Wright, saying:

“His beliefs and his battles in America – they were huge. It will be hard to argue with that [Ian Wright choosing Ali as the greatest sports person].”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were also snubbed by Jill Scott, who named Serena Williams as the greatest sportsperson.

Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Ian Wright names his pick between the two

Back in 2020, Ian Wright discussed Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi along with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the MOTD podcast when the Arsenal legend backed the Portuguese superstar. He explained that the current Al Nassr star's ability to deliver in different leagues makes him his pick. He said via The Sun:

"Cristiano Ronaldo, on what he's done in different leagues, the goals he's scored, his workrate, his total drive for perfection and what he's doing, for me, he just pips it as the top man. In my opinion, what Ronaldo has done to get himself to where he is... Messi has done the same with Barcelona, the loyalty he has - they were the only ones who wanted to pay the growth hormones he had to take at £9,000 a pop.

"The fact Ronaldo has gone to different leagues has got to count for something. He continually pushes himself to the next place. The way Ronaldo has driven his way to the top is No 1 for me. But you cannot ignore Messi's statistics and the loyalty he has shown."

However, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker opted for Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo. The two legendary footballers are close to retirement and have stated that they will be calling it time soon.