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Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has chosen Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview with ESPN FC.
The German goalkeeper was asked a series of questions with one of two options to choose from. The questions ranged from football to other things like music and cuisine. One of the questions was about Messi and Ronaldo. Neuer did not hesitate to pick the Argentina captain.
The video can be seen below:
Neuer has faced both Messi and Ronaldo on numerous occasions. The 36-year-old shot-stopper notably played against Messi in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final in Brazil. Argentina lost to Neuer's Germany on that occasion, thanks to an extra-time winner scored by substitute Mario Gotze.
Both Messi and Ronaldo could well be competing in their final FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year. Neuer could also do likewise. However, goalkeepers usually have a longer career than forwards, so it could be a while before the shot-stopper calls it a day.
Interestingly, Messi, Ronaldo and Neuer are set to captain their respective nations Argentina, Portugal and Germany at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The tournament starts on 21 November with Argentina, Germany and Portugal playing their first respective matches on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th respectively.
Lionel Messi looks more prepared than Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of new season
Lionel Messi seems better prepared than Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the new season. While Messi has played a few games for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in pre-season, Ronaldo has played only 45 minutes for Manchester United ahead of the new season.
Messi was with the Parisians on their pre-season tour of Japan. The 35-year-old scored twice in three outings there and also netted against Nantes in the Trophee des Champions win on Sunday, July 31.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, did not travel with United on their pre-season tour of Australia and Thailand, citing family reasons. There are also question marks about his future going into the new season.
The Portuguese has expressed his desire to leave United as he wishes to compete in the UEFA Champions League. United will not play in the competition this campaign, as they only finished sixth in the Premier League last season despite Ronaldo scoring 18 times.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have one year remaining on their contracts with their respective clubs.
