Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Steven Bergwijn picks his favorite between the PSG and Al-Nassr superstars

Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn has picked his favorite between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It's the age-old debate that has dominated the football discourse for over 15 years now. It continues to rage on even as the two superstars are in the twilight of their careers.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have accomplished so much for their respective clubs and countries that very few players can hold a candle to them. Their ridiculous stats and performances sparked a debate over who is the better of the two and fans of both players push each one's case.

Football players, past and present, as well as managers, have been dragged into the debate. Bergwijn is the latest to wade in after he was asked the question in a recent interview. He promptly said (via AFC Ajax):

“Messi. The amount of natural talent he has, that’s really not normal. He is the best football player in the world.”

The Dutchman first came up against Messi during his days at PSV Eindhoven in the 2018-19 season when they drew Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine netted four times over two games, including a hat-trick in the 4-0 rout at Camp Nou.

Bergwijn then faced off with Messi at the 2022 FIFA World Cup last year when the Netherlands battled Argentina in the quarter-finals. The latter prevailed once again as the Albiceleste won 4-3 on penalties en route to winning the trophy.

Having seen his brilliance from up close, it's not surprising that the Dutchman picked Lionel Messi as his favorite over Cristiano Ronaldo. This is even though the latter scored a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur last year with Bergwijn being a part of that squad.

After struggling to hit his best with Spurs, Bergwijn returned to the Netherlands last summer to join Ajax. He's recaptured his mojo with the Dutch club with 15 goals in 39 games, including 11 in the Eredivisie.

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Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as the greatest player rivalry

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry could be well and truly over with both players in decline right now, but it will go down in history as the greatest.

Football has seen comparisons between several players in the past for their brilliance. This includes the likes of Pele with Diego Maradona, Iker Casillas with Gianluigi Buffon, Zinedine Zidane with Ronaldinho, etc. However, nothing comes remotely close to the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo.

Over the years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo picked up numerous collective and individual honors. They have won 12 Ballons d'Or and nine UEFA Champions League trophies between them, among other honors. They also locked horns on the field in some really exciting player battles too while playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Together, the Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Nassr stars have accounted for more than 1500 goals and over 50 trophies, a testament to just how good they've been.

Now both players are approaching the end of their careers, with Messi turning 36-year-old in June while Ronaldo is 38. The great rivalry is coming to an end, but history will always remember it.