"The greatest ever" - When Marcus Rashford picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Not long ago, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford picked Lionel Messi over his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate. The two superstars have dominated football for almost two decades and have engraved their names in the game's history as two of the greatest players ever.

'Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo' has been a debate that has divided the fans, pundits, and even footballers in two halves over the years. With the two players winning a total of 13 Ballons d'Or between them, the GOAT debate has seen almost everyone pick a side.

Marcus Rashford, despite sharing the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United in the past, picked Lionel Messi over the Portuguese maestro. In September 2024, the Manchester United attacker claimed that the Argentine legend was the greatest footballer of all time. The England international said (as quoted by SPORTbible):

“Some of the stuff that he does is unbelievable. I’m a big fan of [Cristiano] Ronaldo as well, but I think Messi is the greatest ever.”

Ronaldo is now 39 years of age and still very much at the peak of his powers, plying his trade for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He has 20 goals and three assists in 23 games for the Saudi Pro League giants this season.

Meanwhile, Messi, 37, is now on the books of Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer. He scored 23 goals and produced 13 assists in 25 games for the club last season.

---

When Jude Bellingham picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham once picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo while weighing in on the GOAT debate. Ronaldo and Messi shared a long-term rivalry between them, particularly during their times at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.

While Bellingham was on the books of Borussia Dortmund, he was asked for his opinion on the age-old debate. The now-Real Madrid superstar had picked the Barcelona legend over the former Real Madrid talisman. He said (as quoted by OneFootball):

"Messi for me, for sure. You can just watch him and think like 'How does he do that?' Every time I watch him, he just does something that I just think 'You can't be human.'"

Lionel Messi certainly has the edge over Cristiano Ronaldo as he is the most decorated footballer of all time in terms of club accolades. He has also won the FIFA World Cup (2022) and has eight Ballons d'Or, compared to Ronaldo's five.