Peter Crouch emphatically settles Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has emphatically claimed that Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

The former England international was speaking on his That Peter Crouch podcast when he claimed that those who pick Ronaldo as a better player than Messi don't know football.

Crouch received boxer Anthony Joshua's opinion on the debate while former Tottenham Hotspur manager Jermaine Defoe was a guest on the podcast.

Defoe assumed that Joshua would side with Messi, but the English heavyweight boxer chose Ronaldo, much to the bemusement of the former Spurs frontman.

He stressed that Messi has won the most Ballon d'Or's and he is, therefore, the best.

Crouch then made the bold claim that you don't know football if you side with the Manchester United forward (via Roy Nemer):

"I feel if you say Ronaldo you don't know football very well."

His guests all laughed, but Crouch wasn't having it that the Portuguese forward is better than the Argentine attacker:

"I think he's absolutely incredible, Ronaldo is incredible but I look a little bit down on you if you say Ronaldo."

The debate over which of the pair is better will likely never end as both arguments have their worth.

Lionel Messi, 35, has won seven Ballons d'Or, won the Champions League trophy four times, and lifted the Copa America with Argentina in 2021.

He has made 830 club appearances thus far, scoring 695 goals and providing 332 assists.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, 37, has won five Ballons d'Or, won the Champions League on five occasions, and lifted the European Championships in 2016.

He has made 949 club appearances, scoring 701 goals and contributing 223 assists.

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Barcelona legend Gerard Pique waxed lyrical about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2016

Pique compared his two former teammates

Pique played alongside both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during his career and compared the pair in 2016.

His former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand asked him which of the duo he believes is better.

Pique began by detailing the talent Lionel Messi possesses, explaining that no player can match the control of the ball the Argentine manages.

He told BT Sport:

“I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn’t go two metres far from his foot, it’s always there. It’s impossible to catch him, this talent I didn’t see from anyone."

The Barcelona legend who retired this past weekend then described Cristiano Ronaldo's abilities, alluding to his capabilities of scoring any type of goal:

“Cristiano Ronaldo is such a different player, they are very different. He is tall, strong, he’s really complete. He can do anything. He can do goals with the head, free-kicks, penalties, take one on one."

The Spaniard concluded:

“But for me it’s like Messi is not human but Cristiano is the best of the humans.”