Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Barcelona icon David Villa picks his favorite between the 2 superstars

In a recent interview with GOAL, Spanish legend David Villa gave his opinion on the never-ending debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, picking the Argentine maestro.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, two of the greatest footballers of all time, have forged a fascinating rivalry over the last decade and half. Former Spain international David Villa, who retired from professional football in 2019, was asked to choose between the two superstars. Without any hesitation, Villa picked his former teammate, Lionel Messi.

Villa and Messi played together at Barcelona between 2010 and 2013, and they enjoyed a great deal of success together. Villa joined La Blaugrana from Valencia in 2010, and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season, scoring in the final against Manchester United alongside Messi.

In the same interview, Villa was also asked to choose between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, the two superstars of the current generation. He picked the French forward.

The former Valencia man was one of the finest players of his generation, and is his country's record goalscorer with 59 goals in 98 games. He was an important member of the Spanish squads that won the Euros in 2008 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and is their top scorer in World Cup history.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi claimed the biggest accolades of 2023

Despite their advanced age, Ronaldo, 38, and Messi, 36, remain very relevant in world football as they claimed major accolades in 2023.

Messi won his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 and was also voted as the FIFA Men's Footballer of the Year. He also guided PSG to a Ligue 1 triumph and Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup in USA last year.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, finished 2023 as the top scorer in the calendar year with 54 goals ahead of players like Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland. While Ronaldo did not manage to win any major individual awards (he finished third in the Best Footballer in Asia award), his goal record stands out as the best in 2023.