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Former Manchester United and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, back in 2018, weighed in on the eternal GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While the Argentine praised both the legendary forwards, he claimed that his compatriot was so good that scoring 'three goals (in a game) is normal' for him.
Ronaldo and Messi headlined one of the biggest individual sporting rivalries in history for over a decade and a half. The pair won 13 Ballon d'Or titles between them (five for the former, eight for the latter) and set numerous unbelievable records that stand to this day.
The Portuguese marksman has racked up an outlandish total of 938 goals and 257 assists in 1281 professional appearances so far. The diminutive Argentine is not far behind with his own videogame-esque numbers - 866 goals and 384 assists in 1109 games thus far.
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Tevez was one of the select few players to have shared the pitch with both forwards. He made 47 appearances for Argentina alongside Messi and played in 80 games alongside Ronaldo for Premier League juggernauts Manchester United.
In a 2018 interview with ESPN Argentina, Tevez was asked who he preferred between the two world-beating forwards. He said (via OneFootball):
"Cristiano is totally different to Messi. When Leo was starting out, he didn't touch a gym. But Cristiano was there in the morning, afternoon and evening, all the time. Cristiano had to work and prepare himself to be the best, while for Leo it comes naturally. Those are the greatest differences that I see between the two best players on the planet. Messi plays another sport. For him to score three goals [in any given game] is normal."
Despite nearing the twilight of their careers, the two iconic attackers are still going strong. Ronaldo plies his trade for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, while Messi plays for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami.
"He is having more fun" - When Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney weighed in on debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney once weighed in on the GOAT debate between superstar forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Rooney made 206 appearances alongside the Portuguese legend at United, assisting him 12 times and scoring off his passes 14 times. While he never played alongside the Argentine maestro, he played in a UEFA Champions League semi-final (2007/08) and two finals against his Barcelona side (2008/09 and 2010/11), winning only the former.
In a 2020 interview with Sunday Times, Rooney revealed his pick in the eternal GOAT debate. He said (via CBS Sports):
"Despite my friendship with Cristiano, I'd go for Messi. Ronaldo is ruthless in the box, a killer. But Messi will torture you before he kills you. With him you just get the impression he is having more fun. Those two have completely changed the game in terms of goal scoring numbers, and I don't think they'll ever be matched."
