"Some actually think he isn't the best" - When Johan Cruyff dismissed ‘ridiculous’ comment in Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate

Late Dutch legend Johan Cruyff once dismissed the GOAT debate, insisting that Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Barcelona player was among the legends of the game and won the Ballon d'Or thrice in his career.

However, Cruyff saw La Pulga and Ronaldo surpass his achievements on the pitch, igniting a new era of dominance that has lasted close to two decades. The Argentine and the Portuguese superstars have redefined the limits of football excellence, and the world remains divided on who reigns supreme.

Speaking in Berlin in 2015 (as cited by GiveMeSport), Cruyff named Cristiano Ronaldo as a great goalscorer while insisting that Lionel Messi is the best player.

"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 said.

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

Cruyff found success with Barcelona and Ajax during his playing as well as managerial career. He died in March 2016.

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How many goals have Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scored in their careers?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player so far to cross the 900-goal mark in the history of football, although Lionel Messi is not too far behind. Ronaldo has registered 928 goals from 1269 appearances for club and country in his career.

The Portuguese superstar has also won the Ballon d'Or five times. The 40-year-old has scored 135 goals from 217 games for his nation and is the all-time record goalscorer in men's football.

Cristiano Ronaldo currently plies his trade with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, although his contract expires in a few months. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, has amassed 854 goals from 1088 games to date.

La Pulga is Argentina's record goalscorer, with 112 goals from 191 games. The 37-year-old moved to the MLS in 2023 to join Inter Miami and has achieved great success on the other side of the Atlantic. The diminutive magician's contract expires at the end of this year, and he has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times.