Messi named Ronaldo’s favourite

LONDON. — Former Brazilian forward Ronaldo has snubbed his namesake Cristiano and named Lionel Messi as his favourite football player to watch.

There has been debate for a number of years over the current greatest player in the world, with Messi winning the Ballon d’Or six times and Cristiano five times over the last 12 years.

Ronaldo — who was himself considered the most talented player of his generation and won two Ballon d’Ors — was asked by Spanish publication AS for his favourite modern-day stars and omitted Cristiano while including a Liverpool forward.

“Messi, of course, he is number one, it is a talent that we will take 20 or 30 years to see something similar,” Ronaldo said.

“I also like ( Mohamed) Salah, (Eden) Hazard, Neymar, that I love watching him play, of course (Kylian) Mbappe.”

Comparisons have often been drawn between Mbappe and Ronaldo, with observers noting similarities with their explosive pace and skill on the ball.

Ronaldo, however, played it down, saying: “It says a lot of people who look like me, has a lot of speed, finishes well, has great movements, hits excellent with both legs, has an incredible stride.

“We have similar things, but I never liked comparisons, especially between players of different generations, because the situations are different.”

The discussions and arguments about Messi vs Cristiano will no doubt continue to rumble on until they both retire, and Gary Lineker also recently waded into the debate by throwing his weight behind Messi.

“People get very tribal in all sorts of ways in life, and Messi versus Ronaldo is one of them,” the former England striker told BBC Sport.

“Often the choice seems to come down to whether you support Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus or whoever, which is fine — I understand that.

“I am a huge fan of Ronaldo too, but if you’re talking about the best player ever, there shouldn’t even be a debate that it is Messi. That’s just my opinion, but it’s not even close for me.” — The Mirror.