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Cristiano Ronaldo’s former Manchester United teammate Kieran Richardson has sided with Lionel Messi in the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate. Richardson claimed that winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup allowed the Argentine to pull ahead of Ronaldo and emerge as the undisputed best player in history.
Lionel Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists to help his country to FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar in December. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace was chosen as the Player of the Tournament and was awarded the Golden Ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, endured a torrid time. He scored a solitary penalty goal and was dropped from the starting XI for both knockout fixtures as Portugal crashed out in the quarter-finals.
On The Steven Sulley Study, Richardson, who played 40 games with Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford, was asked to pick between the two generational superstars. Here’s what he had to say:
“They're both the GOATs, but, if I had to pick one, then I have to pick Messi, even though I know Ronaldo, I've played with Ronaldo, and I love Ronaldo.
“They're both amazing; they're both GOATs. When they pass away, they'll still be talked about forever, but just because Messi got that World Cup.”
Richardson asserted that Messi’s exploits in Qatar allowed him to surpass Diego Maradona and Pele to emerge as the best in history, eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo. On this, Richardson said:
“It's a massive thing having that World Cup, because even before Messi had the World Cup, everyone was saying: ‘Yeah, but he hasn't won it yet. He can't be the best of all time because [Diego] Maradona won it; Pele won it'.
"Now there is no question; he's won the pinnacle any footballer would want to win. Even though they get their own accolades, World Player of the Year so many times, but as a footballer, when you're thinking as a kid, you want to win a World Cup, That's all you want to win.”
Pablo Sarabia insists there is no “togetherness” in Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar’s PSG
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Pablo Sarabia has opened up about his experience at PSG. The Spaniard, who left PSG for Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2023, has claimed that the Parisians are a collection of individuals, hinting that there is a lack of camaraderie in the team.
He also said that while playing alongside Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar was special, it was more important for him to feel useful to the team.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Sarabia said:
“It was amazing to play with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar and a very good experience, but for me the most crucial thing is to feel important in the team.
“I prefer to be at another team to feel that togetherness, to be part of it and be a member of the team and a family, rather than just a collection of individuals. I wasn’t happy not playing.”
Sarabia played 98 matches for PSG in three seasons, scoring 22 times and providing 12 assists.
