Recalling the time when Gianluigi Buffon settled Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate

Former Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said four years ago that Lionel Messi is a more complete player than his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

For over 15 years, Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football with their unmatched consistency, both at the club and international level. Since their near decade-long duels in La Liga, the eternal 'GOAT' debate has divided the opinions of players, coaches and pundits alike.

Collectively, the pair have won a whopping 12 Ballon d'Or awards and numerous league and continental titles. Messi (672) and Ronaldo (450) are the all-time top goal-scorers for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.

As quoted by Sport Bible in 2018, Buffon said:

"They are two completely different players. Messi is more complete, because he starts deeper, has more technical quality and a vision of the game that is worthy more of a trequartista than a finisher."

Despite picking the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star as his choice, Buffon feels his former teammate Ronaldo is a 'killer' in the penalty area. He said:

"Ronaldo, perhaps because he is a little older, has become a killer in the penalty area. Compared to how he was before, he preserves his energy more, so he no longer goes out to the flank for a nutmeg or trick-shot. But with one ball into the box, he can create a goal."

The 44-year-old Parma shot-stopper played alongside the Portuguese attacker for two seasons at Juventus, between 2019 and 2021, winning three trophies together.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to continue their rivalry in Qatar

Set to appear in their fifth FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year, Messi and Ronaldo will respectively spearhead Argentina and Portugal's challenge at the quadrennial event. Despite being in the twilight of their careers, both players are still going strong as they seek their first World Cup title.

While the Argentine maestro registered 26 goal contributions (11 goals, 15 assists) with PSG last season, Ronaldo scored 24 goals and provided three assists for Manchester United.

Both players have won their respective continental tournaments - Ronaldo winning the UEFA European Championship with Portugal in 2016 and Messi winning the Copa America with Argentina last year.

With Ronaldo now 37 and Messi 35, Qatar could be their last opportunity to win the World Cup in what could be their final appearances in the competition. Ronaldo made the semi-final in 2006 with Portugal (lost to France), while Messi's Argentina went a step better eight years later, losing to Germany in the final.