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Former German footballer Sami Khedira once weighed in on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate. Khedira has shared the pitch the Portuguese talisman but only played against the Argentine legend.
The Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate has been raging in football for the last two decades, when the two legends dominated the beautiful game. Their rivalry reached its peak when both were in LaLiga, playing for ardent rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. Fans and pundits have made their pick in favor of one or the other, but the question of the better footballer will perhaps always remain unanswered.
In a February 2025 interview with talkSPORT, Sami Khedira shared his two cents on the GOAT debate, picking his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi. He said (via The Mirror):
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"It’s Cristiano. It’s not disrespectful to Messi because what he has achieved and is still doing, especially in the U.S, is amazing. But I know Cristiano; I played with him for seven years in Madrid and Juventus. I know him personally quite well, so I'm 100 per cent team Ronaldo, but with all due respect to Messi."
Sami Khedira's pick is not surprising, as he has shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo in 174 games across Real Madrid and Juventus in all competitions. They also recorded seven joint-goal participations.
Meanwhile, Khedira has faced Lionel Messi in 24 games for club and country, winning nine times and losing eight games. Seven games between them ended in stalemates.
When Lionel Messi spoke about his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
In a recent interview in Miami ahead of one of his MLS fixtures, Lionel Messi shared his thoughts on his two-decade-long rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentine said (via MARCA):
"It was a very nice stage for everyone. For the people and for us. We fed off each other because we are both very competitive. He wanted to win everything. It's very impressive what we did for so long. As they say, it's easy to get there but difficult to stay there. We stayed at the top for 10 or 15 years. It's a nice memory for everyone."
Both Messi and Ronaldo bid farewell to European football two years ago. Despite leaving Europe, both remain at the top of their game and among the best players in the world today.
Messi has led MLS side Inter Miami to two titles since joining them in the summer of 2023. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has been focused on his goal of reaching 1,000 career goals before retirement. He is currently representing the Saudi Pro League side, Al-Nassr.
