Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? When F1 driver Charles Leclerc picked his favorite between the 2 superstars

Formula One driver Charles Leclerc was once asked to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the greatest of all time (GOAT) debate. The duo have dominated the footballing world for almost two decades, winning several trophies in the process.

The competition between the pair has also left fans, and the world in general, divided regarding who is superior. During a YouTube interview with ESPN UK in August 2022, Leclerc was asked to pick between the two.

The interviewer asked:

"Messi or Ronaldo?"

The eight-time Formula 1 winner responded:

"Ronaldo."

The GOAT debate involving the pair has been long-lived, thanks to their incredible consistency and longevity. Notably, the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo became more pronounced when the latter joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2008.

La Pulga is a highly intuitive attacker, capable of unlocking defensive set-ups in style. He's also a player who could deliver goals and create chances for other attackers.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo can be described as a goal machine due to his proficiency in scoring from the left, right, and centre. He's also a remarkable aerial threat, whose ability to rise above defenders and place the ball in the back of the net is outstanding.

Among the duo, Ronaldo holds a slight edge in terms of the club career goals delivered. He has registered 794 club career goals in 1,054 appearances, while Messi has delivered 768 goals in fewer games (945).

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has contributed more club career assists (367 in 945 games) than Cristiano Ronaldo, who has delivered 242 assists in 1,054 appearances. The duo have 13 Ballons d’Or between them, eight belong to La Pulga while the former Manchester United forward has five.

Between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored more LaLiga goals?

La Liga 2017-18 - Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona - Source: Getty

To put it simply, Lionel Messi scored more goals in LaLiga than Cristiano Ronaldo. In 520 league appearances for Barcelona, Messi scored 474 goals and contributed 216 assists.

Meanwhile, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 311 goals and delivered 95 assists in 292 LaLiga games for Real Madrid.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava