Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? When Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr picked between the two GOATs

Back in October 2023, Vinicius Jr switched his stance in the debate between the two GOATs (Greatest of All Time) Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both legendary superstars no longer play in Europe, with Messi now in the MLS and Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League. However, the debate around their rivalry has persisted.

This debate has long been discussed by fans, pundits, and even players, with Vinicius Jr notably sharing his thoughts back in 2017. At the time, the Brazilian teenager was asked to choose the best player in the world, and he opted for the legendary Argentine playmaker (via SPORTbible):

“Messi or Cristiano? … Messi, Messi.”

Vinicius broke into Flamengo's first team in that period, and his talent was recognized by Real Madrid, who signed him for €45 million in 2018. The 24-year-old has grown to become one of the best players in the world currently, coming in second place in the 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings.

Vinicius did not play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, as the legendary forward departed the club for Juventus before the Brazilian joined. However, the winger has changed his mind about who the GOAT is over the years.

Back in 2023, Vinicius picked Ronaldo over Lionel Messi, sharing an image of himself and the Portugal legend, captioning it with the GOAT emoji (via SPORTbible). Ronaldo notably scored an incredible 450 goals in just 438 games for Los Blancos, a record Vinicius would find very difficult to beat.

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When Cristiano Ronaldo declared the end to Lionel Messi rivalry

Back in 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo declared that the end had come to his rivalry with Lionel Messi. At this point, the two legends had completed their careers in Europe and had opted to play in different continents.

Ronaldo is the only player to have crossed the 900-career goal mark, but Messi is close behind at 850 goals. However, the Portuguese legend is no longer competing with his Argentine counterpart, as he explained (via ESPN):

"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it. "Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Lionel Messi and vice versa. We've done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing.

"He's followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I've seen, he's been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don't see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years..."

Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami, where he won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and the Supporters' Shield in 2024. Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr, where he won the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.