"There is a big difference" - When Johan Cruyff picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo 

Johan Cruyff, one of football's all-time greatest players, once picked Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. The two forwards have split the world of football into two sections for almost two decades.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both in their late thirties but are still very much at the peak of their powers. They have shared a long-standing rivalry over the years, particularly when they plied their trade for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

When asked to pick between the two, Johan Cruyff chose Messi ahead of his eternal rival. He hailed Ronaldo for his immense goalscoring prowess but insisted that Messi is the better player overall. The former Netherlands icon said before he passed away in 2016, as quoted by GiveMeSport:

"Messi is much more a team player than Cristiano is. He scores but also produces many assists. For me as a player, Messi is better. There is a big difference in being just a great goalscorer and being the best player."

Cruyff, who greatly influenced the game with his tactical approach, continued:

"Every person that understands football knows this. It's absolutely ridiculous to me that some people actually think Messi isn't the best. This isn't about Cristiano at all."

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner concluded:

"He's a fantastic player, one of the best goalscorers ever. This is about how ridiculously good Messi is."

Aged 37 and 39 now, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to perform at the highest level. They are currently on the books of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League respectively.

Messi has been in exceptional form for Inter Miami this season having scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists in 23 games. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has contributed with nine goals and three assists in 11 games this campaign for Al-Nassr.

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Revisiting Real Madrid star's pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 'GOAT' debate

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric once picked Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. Despite formerly being a teammate of Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Croatia icon hailed Messi as the greatest of all time.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Real Madrid legend insisted Lionel Messi deserved to win the tournament. After Croatia's 3-0 loss against Argentina in the semi-final, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner said, as quoted by GiveMeSport:

"I hope he (Messi) will win this World Cup, he is the best player in history and he deserves it. He is playing a great World Cup, he shows quality and greatness in every game."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric were Real Madrid teammates for six years and enjoyed plenty of success together. They shared the pitch on 222 occasions for the Spanish capital club and had 16 joint goal participations.