Man United Icon Named His GOAT Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

• Paul Scholes was swift to share his thoughts on the enduring GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
• The debate surrounding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been a central topic in the football world for many years
• The two football superstars have dominated the football scene for years, sharing 13 Ballon d'Or titles between them

Paul Scholes was quick to weigh in on the long-standing GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Scholes experienced firsthand Ronaldo's remarkable talent, having played alongside the Portuguese for six years at Manchester United from 2003 to 2009 before his £80 million transfer to Real Madrid.

During their time together, they won three consecutive Premier League titles from 2006 to 2009, with Scholes watching Ronaldo net 118 goals in 292 appearances during his first stint at the club, per TalkSPORT.

They also lifted the Champions League trophy in 2008, with the Al-Nassr captain earning his first Ballon d'Or following that victory and his remarkable season.

Scholes believes Messi is a complete player

However, Scholes believes that the Real Madrid legend still falls short of Messi, his longtime competitor.

The legendary England midfielder experienced two finals losses to Messi's Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

But it was years later, when the Argentine maestro dazzled against Spurs at Wembley in the Champions League, that the United legend recognised Messi as a superior all-round footballer.

"Watching Messi against Tottenham at Wembley made me think about the Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo debate again," Scholes said, speaking on ESPN via The Mirror.

“Messi, but Ronaldo is brilliant. Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power. He scores, he takes free-kicks.

“But as an all-round footballer, Messi – wow, his passing – has absolutely everything.”

Scholes managed to outshine a young Messi in the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, scoring the decisive goal that propelled Manchester United to the final against Chelsea.

However, he has publicly admitted that he made every effort to avoid the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, aiming to dodge any potential humiliation. In 2015, Scholes wrote a column for the Standard detailing the challenges of competing against Messi.

Forgettable players who played with Ronaldo

YEN.com.gh has also reported on the surprising players who played with Ronaldo.

The Al-Nassr forward has played with top stars such as Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Wayne Rooney.

But he also played with 'not-so-known' stars like former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho and former Stoke City star Ryan Shawcross.

Haaland, other stars pick Ronaldo as GOAT

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that several players shared their opinions on the ongoing GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the UEFA Champions League.

The two legendary figures have long dominated the competition with remarkable goals and decisive performances.

Erling Haaland, Virgil van Dijk, Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Florian Wirtz all expressed their support for Ronaldo as the greatest of all time.

Source: AFP