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Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot recently snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when he was asked to name his top three players of all time. Instead, the 30-year-old named Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as his GOAT, as well as Zinedine Zidane and Kaka to round out his top three.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have contested the GOAT debate for well over a decade, winning a combined total of 13 Ballons d'Or. Both superstars dominated Europe in their prime years and are still going strong for Al-Nassr and Inter Miami, respectively.
Rabiot plied his trade alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus between 2019 and 2021, winning three trophies, including the 2019-20 Serie A title. Despite this, the Frenchman failed to name the Portugal ace or Lionel Messi in his top three players. On the France national team's TikTok page, Rabiot stated (via Daily Mirror):
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"Third, Kaka. He was a player that I found very elegant. Able to score, to make others score, to be a player who attacked but was still part of the collective. This is the kind of player that I like. [Zinedine] Zidane, obviously, for the same reasons, the same characteristics. And he is French, we grew up with him. It was an iconic French player. He did extraordinary things."
He added:
"The player that I really liked a lot was Steven Gerrard since I was very young. He played his entire career at Liverpool. He was an iconic player for Liverpool in the Premier League. He was able to attack, to defend, had an incredible shot, scored a lot of goals and he was also a player who worked for the collective, who put his team first. This is the type of player and character that I like."
Steven Gerrard was a world-class midfielder during his time at Liverpool between 1998 and 2015, leading the Reds to nine trophies despite their struggles as a unit compared to other teams. Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane and Kaka also flourished in their careers, with both being regarded as some of the greatest midfielders in the history of the sport.
"It's Ronaldo, every day!" - When Denmark coach Brian Riemer named Cristiano Ronaldo as the GOAT over Lionel Messi
Brian Riemer once claimed Cristiano Ronaldo was the greatest of all time over Lionel Messi due to his professionalism off the field, as well as being the highest goalscorer of all time.
Riemer's comments arrived before Denmark faced Portugal in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals last month. He told O Jogo (via GOAL):
"Yes, what a player! I think I've been asked, curiously, in the last three or four interviews I've done: ‘Messi or Ronaldo?’ For me, it's Ronaldo, every day!"
He continued:
"I've always admired this guy. I think he's not only achieved incredible numbers throughout his career - top scorer, trophies, there's no arguing about that - but he's also a great example for young people. His professionalism, the way he looks after his body, the way he's managed to continue all these years at the highest level."
Despite being at the age of 40, Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the fittest footballers on the planet due to his dedication to a strict fitness routine. He is also the highest goalscorer of all time, having garnered 931 goals in 1272 appearances across all competitions for club and country. In comparison, Lionel Messi has bagged 858 goals in 1092 appearances across all competitions.
