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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have exercised a duopoly of sorts over the Ballon d'Or in recent times. The duo have picked up 12 Ballons d'Or between them, with Messi having won seven while Ronaldo has won five.
Lionel Messi is currently leading Cristiano Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or wins
Messi and Ronaldo were tied at five Ballon d'Or wins each until 2019. Messi has won in the two editions since and has now taken what seems like an unassailable lead in this late stage of their careers.
But despite Messi having won more Ballon d'Or trophies, the debate over who is the better player between the two rages on. Fans, pundits and former players are all still divided over who is the better footballer between the two.
Without further ado, let's take a look at four Ballon d'Or winners who picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi.
#4 Ruud Gullit
Legendary Dutch midfielder Ruud Gullit is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was one of the most versatile players in the 1980s and 90s. Gullit could play anywhere on the pitch and has been deployed as a defender, midfielder and as a forward.
Gullit captained the Dutch national team to a triumphant run at Euro 1988. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1987 and also finished as the runner-up the following year. Gullit believes that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Messi.
He said so after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid to fire Juventus into the quarter-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League.
Speaking to beIN Sports (via The Express), Gullit said:
“I think he is [the greatest of all time]. He won also with his country, European Championship. He has done it with all the clubs he has been at, Champions League also with Man United. He’s been in three different countries, best footballer all the time.
“He won how many times the Golden Ball? Five times, six times? What he achieved for any team he’s played for is unbelievable. Messi couldn’t do it with Argentina, he’s been close. But it counts if you also do that."
He added:
"Messi also can be there with all the best footballers but it’s a little bit the icing on the cake the fact that he played in three different countries and he’s done it.
“He did it his way and you can only say ‘bow for this guy’ and say what a player, unbelievable. They all admire him for his work ethic, even now. He’s wanting to be more fit.”
#3 Michael Owen
Michael Owen was one of the greatest strikers of his generation. The former Liverpool and Manchester United striker was not built like today's archetypal number nine. He was a diminutive marksman with incredible pace and the ability to sniff out chances in and around the opponent's goal.
He was a wonderful finisher and despite not being a very tall customer, Owen's heading ability was quite praiseworthy as well. The Englishman won the Ballon d'Or in 2001.
Speaking to BT Sport (via Sportskeeda) in 2017 after Cristiano Ronaldo had led Real Madrid to Champions League glory, Owen said:
“Goalscoring is the hardest art in football and [Ronaldo] makes it look so easy. Head, left foot, right foot. Messi is a decent header of a ball but if you're looking at all-round players, you go head-to-head with Messi and Ronaldo, you'd say Ronaldo has a lot more different attributes.
"He's probably always been quicker, right foot, left foot and header of a ball. I think Messi is outstanding in certain attributes but as an all-round physique, Ronaldo is such an all-round player."
#2 Kaka
Kaka is one of the greatest attacking midfielders of all time. He played some of his best football for AC Milan, where he stole the limelight with his exquisite dribbling, inventive passing and prolific goalscoring. He won the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2006-07 Champions League title and is one of the best players of his generation.
Kaka has also played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Incidentally, the duo were roped in during the same transfer window at Real Madrid.
Speaking on the Podpah YouTube channel, Kaka revealed that he believes his former teammate is better than Lionel Messi. Kaka said:
"I will separate like this (Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo): one is a genius and the other has a very strong mentality. Now, if you ask me who i want for my team, i would choose Cristiano. [...] The chance of his failure is very small. He is very determined, focused."
#1 Zinedine Zidane
Well, this should come as no surprise. Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo are Real Madrid legends. Zizou has also coached Ronaldo at Real Madrid and the duo have been immensely successful together, winning three back-to-back Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.
Zidane is widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was one of the most elegant footballers to have graced the game and won the Ballon d'Or in 1998.
Addressing the Messi vs Ronaldo debate, Zidane once said (via GiveMeSport):
“Cristiano is the best. Messi is his rival and it's the rivalry everyone wants to see. But Ronaldo is phenomenal. There are no words to describe him. He is much better than me even though I had a great career. He's the greatest of all time.”
