FOOTBALL fans have been debating for years over who out of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is football’s GOAT.
Both players have won the Champions League an incredible four times.
Messi also has seven Ballon d’Or triumphs to his name, while Ronaldo has bagged the gong five times himself.
But back in December Paris Saint-Germain star Messi inspired Argentina to World Cup glory.
For Ronaldo football’s greatest prize has so far eluded him, and at 38-years-old it remains to be seen if he plays at the World Cup again.
And Messi’s triumph in Qatar sets him apart from Ronaldo, according to ex-Manchester United star Kieran Richardson.
Despite playing alongside Ron in the icon’s first spell at Old Trafford, Richardson admitted he would pick Messi over his former team-mate.
Speaking on the pair, Richardson said on the Steven Sulley Podcast: “They’re both the GOATs.
“But if I had to pick one, then I have to pick Messi, even though I know Ronaldo, I’ve played with Ronaldo, I love Ronaldo.”
Richardson declared that winning the World Cup sets Messi apart from his great rival.
He continued: “When they pass away, they’ll still be talked about forever, but just because Messi got that World Cup.
“It’s a massive thing having that World Cup, because even before Messi had the World Cup, everyone was saying, ‘yeah, but he hasn’t won it yet’.
“He can’t be the best of all time because [Diego] Maradona won it, Pele won it.
“Now there is no question, he’s won the pinnacle any footballer would want to win.
“Even though they get their own accolades, World Player of the Year so many times, but as a footballer, when you’re thinking as a kid, you want to win a World Cup. That’s all you want to win.”
