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Lionel Messi was voted the clear winner in his ongoing rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo in a poll taken by 270 Bundesliga players back in 2020.
The two legendary forwards have cemented themselves as two of the very best in the history of the sport.
Messi is a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner whilst Ronaldo is a five-time winner.
The Argentine has won four UEFA Champions League titles whilst the Portuguese has won five.
There have been many arguments about which of the two sits atop the pinnacle of football as the very best.
Interestingly, back in 2020 a poll was held by Kicker (via SPORTBible) to get an insight into the opinions of professional footballers playing in the German top flight.
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In the said poll, they were asked which player is the current best in the world and the results pointed heavily in Messi's favor.
The iconic Argentine got 54.8% of the vote to his rival's 12.6%.
The vote was taken following the 2019-20 season in which Messi was part of a Barcelona side that didn't win any trophies.
The Argentinian did manage to score 31 goals that campaign, flourishing as the new Barca captain.
At the same time, Ronaldo finished the 19-20 season with 37 goals in all competitions, with his Juventus side claiming the Serie A title.
Former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe also made the list.
"That was great and helped us grow" - Lionel Messi on rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi has opened up on his iconic rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the competition with the Portuguese helped improve both of their careers.
He told France Football (via Marca):
“I have always wanted to better myself, not look at what others were doing. There was competition with Cristiano Ronaldo as we were in the same league for several years. That was great and helped us grow in our careers, but without looking directly at each other.”
He continued:
“I just wanted to be the best I could be. I have never said that I’m the best in history, and I try not to think about that. Being considered one of the best is enough and something I’d never have imagined.”
Messi is now at PSG and, following a somewhat unconvincing debut season at the Parc des Princes, he is flourishing at the start of his sophomore campaign.
The Argentine has four goals and two assists in his four appearances this season.
Ronaldo's start to the season has been a stark contrast, with the former Real Madrid striker part of a woeful Manchester United side.
He has made two appearances for the Red Devils and is yet to score or assist.
