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Barcelona star Marc-Andre ter Stegen was once asked to pick his favourite between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The German shotstopper made his choice clear, claiming that there was 'never a debate' in his mind.
The two superstar forwards headlined one of the biggest individual rivalries in sport history over the course of a decade and a half. They have racked up over 800 goals each, setting numerous unbelievable records and achieving great success at the personal and team level.
Naturally, there is a regular debate over which of the two is the greatest of all time (GOAT). Many footballing stars have been asked the question, and the support has almost been split evenly for both the superstar forwards.
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Right after Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy in December 2022, Mundo Deportivo asked Ter Stegen to pick his side in the GOAT debate. The German shotstopper asserted (via Daily Post):
"I think there is no one like Leo, he deserves all this and that he has the satisfaction he always needed. But for me there was never a debate."
At Barcelona, Ter Stegen made 250 appearances alongside the Argentine maestro between 2014 and 2021. The pair won one UEFA Champions League title, six LaLiga titles, one FIFA Club World Cup title and multiple other domestic and continental supercups.
Despite being 38 and 40 years old, Messi and Ronaldo are still dominating for MLS side Inter Miami and Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr respectively. The former has 19 goals and nine assists in 24 appearances in the 2025 campaign, while the latter had 35 goals and four assists in 41 games in the 2024-25 season.
"Makes more differences" - When Barcelona legend Rivaldo picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Barcelona icon Rivaldo picked Argentine superstar Lionel Messi over Portuguese marksman Cristiano Ronaldo in the eternal GOAT debate. The Brazilian claimed that his South American counterpart 'makes more differences' than the Portuguese captain on the pitch.
Rivaldo, who racked up 130 goals and 47 assists in 235 appearances for Barcelona, claimed that he would love to play with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. He acknowledged Ronaldo's quality, but emphasized the Argentine icon's supremacy.
In an interview with Betfair in 2017, Rivaldo said (via Sportskeeda h/t GiveMeSport):
"I would like to play with Messi, it would be amazing. He is the best of the world, the one who makes more differences. Ronaldo? He is the most dangerous player at Real. It is hard to stop him... both score a lot of goals and you never know what is going to be the next thing they will invent for scoring."
Rivaldo departed Barcelona in 2002, just two years before Messi made his first-team debut for the club.
