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Back in 2023, Manchester United assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy explained his choice between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. A debate about who the better player is between both superstars has raged on for nearly two decades, with the duo bursting into the limelight in the mid-2000s.
Ronaldo notably won the Euros and Nations League with Portugal in 2016 and 2019 respectively. However, Messi has enjoyed more recent success at the national level, with the playmaker winning two Copa Americas and the FIFA World Cup in the last three years with Argentina.
Despite this newfound brilliance by Lionel Messi, Ruud van Nistelrooy has always sided with Cristiano Ronaldo. He explained that his reason was based on loyalty during an interview with Gary Neville on 'The Overlap' podcast (via SPORTbible):
"I always say Cristiano because you have a past with him."
Notably, Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy played together at Manchester United from 2003 to 2006. They played a combined 91 matches, spending over 5,400 minutes on the pitch together, through those years, combining for 12 goals.
Messi and Van Nistelrooy have never played on the same team together. However, they faced each other five times in LaLiga and once in the 2006 FIFA World Cup group-stage clash between the Netherlands and Argentina.
Jose Mourinho discusses Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Jose Mourinho has shared his thoughts on the eternal rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The manager notably coached Ronaldo while he was at Real Madrid, between 2010 and 2013. This meant facing Messi often, as he played for Barcelona.
While speaking on the podcast 'On The Touchline with Jose Mourinho,' the legendary manager said (via SPORTbible):
“I think they are lucky and unlucky to be in the same generation. They are lucky because they can compete against each other. They look to each other in a positive way and get extra motivation. If there was only one of them, they would have ten Golden Boots."
“Now, I think they have put the bar really high. And you have the players coming behind, who I like to call the 'little monsters.' The bar has to be high, so it has to be incredible motivation for Neymar, [Kylian] Mbappe and [Antoine] Griezmann. Unfortunately, Cristiano and Messi will not last forever.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both left Europe. While the Portuguese legend plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, his Argentine counterpart plays for Inter Miami in the USA.
