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Watford manager Roy Hodgson has made his comments on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi debate.
Ronaldo and Messi are widely regarded as two of the best players in the history of the sport. They have scored goals, big titles and individual accolades galore with club and country. The two have 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them.
During a pre-match interview, Hodgson picked a quote from an Irish playwright when asked to choose one between Ronaldo and Messi. He said:
“Oscar Wilde – all comparisons are odious. Wilde came up with a few good lines, and that's one of my favourites. They are both great, great players. They are different, but I would quite like to have both of them in my team.”
The desire to have both Ronaldo and Messi in his team is understandable, as Watford are currently in the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Messi is one of the most prolific players to have played the sport. He has bagged 759 goals and 323 assists in 960 appearances for club and country. The PSG attacker has also won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards.
Meanwhile, despite being primarily considered as a goalscorer, Ronaldo has an impressive 253 assists, more than creative players like Andres Iniesta and Xavi. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who currently plays for Manchester United, also has 813 goals from 1100 games for club and country.
The duo have both dominated the footballing landscape for a while. So it is no surprise that the Watford boss didn't choose between the pair.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate over the years
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated much of the footballing discourse in Europe in the past decade,
Former Manchester United star Gary Neville has picked Ronaldo, while former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher picked Messi. Gary Lineker describes Messi as the best ever, noting that Ronaldo isn't even close to the Argentine maestro.
Among players who have played with the majestic duo, Deco and Gonzalo Higuain didn't choose between the two, while Gabriel Heinze opted for Ronaldo. Henrik Larsson and Gerard Pique both picked Messi, having played with the Argentine at the Camp Nou.
Meanwhile, Carlos Tevez and Nelson Semedo have both swayed in Messi's favour.
