Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves avoided making a direct choice between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the ongoing Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate during a recent interview with GOAL. The 28-year-old named his picks for the greatest players in the histories of eight major European football clubs, giving insight into his views on some of the sport’s best talents.
Neves began by selecting Pauleta as the finest player in Paris Saint-Germain’s history. He followed that by naming Kevin De Bruyne as Manchester City’s greatest ever. For Real Madrid, the midfielder chose fellow Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, while Fernando Torres earned the top spot in Chelsea’s history. Additionally, Neves picked Philipp Lahm as Bayern Munich’s best and Robert Lewandowski as Borussia Dortmund’s greatest player. He also highlighted Andrea Pirlo as the best in Juventus history and concluded by naming Lionel Messi as Barcelona’s finest.
In a follow-up round of the interview, Neves was asked to compare his initial picks directly. He chose Pauleta over De Bruyne, Ronaldo over Torres, Lewandowski over Lahm, and Messi over Pirlo. Later eliminations saw Pauleta and Lewandowski exit the competition, leaving only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the final round. However, Neves refrained from deciding between the two, stating:
“Both
Neves is currently with Al-Hilal in the United States, preparing for their last group stage match against Mexican club Pachuca in the FIFA World Club Cup on Thursday, May 26.
German Midfielder Florian Wirtz Chooses Messi Over Ronaldo After Bundesliga Title
In another recent instance involving the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate, new Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz was asked to pick between the two superstars after his former club Bayer Leverkusen clinched the Bundesliga title in 2024. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for almost twenty years, accumulating countless team trophies and individual awards.
While many find this choice difficult, the 22-year-old German midfielder expressed a clear preference for Messi over Ronaldo. Speaking on SEVEN MASTERS’s YouTube channel, Wirtz remarked:
“Of course, it’s Messi.
Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month in a high-profile transfer reportedly worth £116 million, including add-ons.