When Paul Scholes Named His GOAT Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

When Paul Scholes Named His GOAT Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

  • Paul Scholes was swift to share his thoughts on the enduring GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
  • The debate surrounding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been a central topic in the football world for many years
  • The two football superstars have dominated the football scene for years, sharing 13 Ballon d'Or titles between them

Paul Scholes was quick to weigh in on the long-standing GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Scholes experienced firsthand Ronaldo's remarkable talent, having played alongside the Portuguese for six years at Manchester United from 2003 to 2009 before his £80 million transfer to Real Madrid.

When Paul Scholes Named His GOAT Between Ronaldo and Messi
Paul Scholes once named the best player football has ever produced between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Photo: Buda Mendes/ Stu Forster.Simon Stacpoole.
Source: UGC

During their time together, they won three consecutive Premier League titles from 2006 to 2009, with Scholes watching Ronaldo net 118 goals in 292 appearances during his first stint at the club, per TalkSPORT.

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They also lifted the Champions League trophy in 2008, with the Al-Nassr captain earning his first Ballon d'Or following that victory and his remarkable season.

Scholes believes Messi is a complete player

However, Scholes believes that the Real Madrid legend still falls short of Messi, his longtime competitor.

The legendary England midfielder experienced two finals losses to Messi's Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

But it was years later, when the Argentine maestro dazzled against Spurs at Wembley in the Champions League, that the United legend recognised Messi as a superior all-round footballer.

"Watching Messi against Tottenham at Wembley made me think about the Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo debate again," Scholes said, speaking on ESPN via The Mirror.
“Messi, but Ronaldo is brilliant. Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power. He scores, he takes free-kicks.

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“But as an all-round footballer, Messi – wow, his passing – has absolutely everything.”

Scholes managed to outshine a young Messi in the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, scoring the decisive goal that propelled Manchester United to the final against Chelsea.

However, he has publicly admitted that he made every effort to avoid the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, aiming to dodge any potential humiliation. In 2015, Scholes wrote a column for the Standard detailing the challenges of competing against Messi.

Aguero's bodyguard settles GOAT debate

Legit.ng had earlier reported a conversation between former Manchester City forward, Sergio Aguero, and his bodyguard detailed his bodyguard’s unexpected preference.

The bodyguard explained that he had been a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo long before he even knew who Lionel Messi was.

Both Ronaldo and Messi have amassed over 1,800 career goal involvements.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Chukwu Ikechukwu avatar

Chukwu Ikechukwu (Sports Editor) Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a seasoned sports journalist with over a decade of experience across radio, TV, and online media. His career has seen him contribute his expertise to prominent media outlets such as Today FM, Wish FM, Silverbird Communications, and Sports Brief. Chukwu earned his Bachelor's degree in Agriculture from the University of Port Harcourt in 2016. Email: Chukwu.ikechukwu@corp.legit.ng