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Former Premier League star Pedro Mendes has opined that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better footballer than Lionel Messi. He believes that the Portuguese star is 'more complete' and has competed in more leagues.
Speaking to OLBG, Mendes said Messi and Ronaldo were two of the greatest players of all time. However, he sided with the Al Nassr star in the GOAT debate, saying:
"I think we have witnessed the two greatest players of all time in the game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. For years and years, they competed at the highest level and have done fantastic things on the pitch, both of them are incredible. The debate always comes down to who you like more as a player. Cristiano Ronaldo is the more complete player, he proved he could win La Liga, the Premier League, and Serie A, and was the top scorer in all of them - for me that is a huge thing to do."
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He added:
"Between him and Messi, Ronaldo wins that battle. Messi, of course, is a fantastic technical player, but we only saw him playing outside Spain for two years in France towards the end of his career and only now in MLS. So we never knew how we would do in England in the Premier League where it is far more aggressive with more tackles, where Ronaldo did fantastically. In that debate there is a lot of controversy and opinion, but Ronaldo is a more complete player than Messi."
Pedro Mendes played nine matches with Ronaldo during his time with the Portugal national team. They lost just one of those matches and that came in the 2010 World Cup to Spain.
When Cristiano Ronaldo said rivalry with Lionel Messi is over
During a press conference in September 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo claimed that his rivalry with Lionel Messi changed the world of football. However, he added that it was over and they were not competing against each other anymore.
"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it," Ronaldo said.
The 39-year-old went on to add that those who followed him did not need to hate Messi and vice versa. He believes that legacy will live on, along with the respect they have for each other.
