"People will look back in awe" - Thierry Henry chooses between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Thierry Henry, the legendary Arsenal and France striker, believes his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi is a better player than Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Despite picking the 34-year-old Argentine as his choice, Henry feels people should relish watching both the masters at work.

For over 15 years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated world football with their unmatched consistency both at the club and the international level. Collectively, the pair have won a whopping 12 Ballon d'Or awards on top of numerous league titles and continental competitions.

Speaking to FIFA.com [via GOAL] in an interview in 2015, Henry explained his viewpoint.

"I played alongside Leo, so there’s my answer. I have an enormous amount of respect for Cristiano, as someone who maintains such a high level for several years."

He continued:

"It’s one thing to have a good season, and then have another four years later but to keep up with that level for consecutive years is something else."

The 44-year-old further added:

"People realise it, of course, but I feel like we still don’t grasp the real measure of what these two are doing. In the future, people will look back in awe at the continuity, the goals and the pressure that comes along with doing this for so long."

He concluded:

"So I'm full of respect for Ronaldo, but I played with Leo and had extraordinary moments with him, we lost and won together, so that is all I have to say on Leo."

Henry played with the Argentine at Barcelona between 2007 and 2010, scoring 49 goals in 121 appearances across all competitions. The Frenchman won two La Liga titles, one Copa Del Rey and one UEFA Champions League crown during his stint in Spain.

Messi vs Ronaldo: A rivalry for the ages

The two imperial footballers have been at loggerheads with each other for more than 15 years, trying to outscore one another and win personal accolades like the much-acclaimed Ballon d’Or.

The pair dominated the scoring charts in La Liga for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018, playing for fierce rivals — Barcelona and Real Madrid. During that time, the Portuguese captain guided Los Blancos to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles (and another one in 2014) and Messi led the Blaugrana to two European crowns in 2011 and 2015.

Messi currently plies his trade for Ligue 1 champions PSG while the Portuguese star plays for Premier League club Manchester United.