Peter Drury Settled the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo Debate
- The debate on who is better between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has raged on for years now
- The two have dominated football headlines for the last 15 years, winning multiple awards along the way
- Peter Drury once added his voice to the debate with the revered commentator explaining who he thinks is better
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Peter Drury has undoubtedly established himself as one of the best TV football commentators of all time.
His poetic lines to describe match happenings in detail have made him a darling of many fans worldwide.
Source: Getty Images
Drury's work has exposed him to extensive player research, which puts him in a good position to add his voice to the divisive GOAT debate.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have transcended football, dominating every conversation by winning multiple awards. The pair has a combined 13 Ballon d'Or.
Their fans remain undivided, and every section makes good points to prove why their plate should be the greatest of all time.
Peter Drury makes his choice in GOAT debate
In a past interview, Drury was cornered into settling on one player. The British commentator lavished praise on both but ultimately settled on Messi as his pick.
"While both are brilliant, they are actually quite different. Ronaldo’s capacity for leaping and scoring with his head is phenomenal. He is brilliant, but if you asked me who I would want to watch if I had to watch one or the other every day for the rest of my life, I’d pick Messi," he said in an interview with Nana Aba.
Why Drury picked Messi
The legendary icon then went ahead to give an in-depth analysis of why he prefers the 2022 World Cup winner.
"He appears to do what is impossible. He plays off his left foot. He almost doesn’t need a right foot – mind you, he can score perfectly well with his right foot – but he weaves through spaces that don’t exist. He’s like a slippery eel. They can’t get hold of him. He sort of defies physics."
Comparing Messi's and Ronaldo's careers
Beyond celebrity endorsements, Messi's and Ronaldo’s achievements have fuelled decades of debate.
Between them, they dominated world football for more than a decade while starring for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
From 2008 to 2017, one of the pair won every Ballon d’Or, excluding Luka Modrić's win in 2018, according to Goal.
Both veterans have lifted countless club and international trophies and broken records that will stand for years.
Messi’s 2022 World Cup victory is often cited as the defining moment in his favour, while Ronaldo continues to chase personal milestones, including edging close to 1,000 career goals while featuring in the Saudi Pro League.
Source: Getty Images
Despite approaching the twilight of their careers - Messi in his late 30s playing in Major League Soccer and Ronaldo already in his 40s in Saudi Arabia - the debate rages on.
The Argentine, now with Inter Miami, guided the club to a historic MLS Cup triumph in 2025, underscoring his enduring influence.
His perceived Portuguese rival, meanwhile, continues to showcase his goal-scoring prowess and ambition abroad.
Many YouTube videos have also sought to compare the players' respective skill sets to try to determine who deserves the GOAT crown.
Ultimately, their accomplishments make comparisons inevitable, and the debate comes down to debatable margins.
13 Ballon d’Or awards, multiple domestic and continental titles, and individual records have solidified their places among the sport’s all-time greats.
While Messi holds the World Cup and MLS glory, Ronaldo’s chase for historic goal tallies ensures the discussion will continue long after both hang up their boots.
Messi picks 2024 Ballon d'Or contenders
In another report, YEN.com.gh disclosed that Messi has named Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe among the frontrunners for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award but has excluded Jude Bellingham from the race.
The England midfielder, who had a stellar debut season with Real Madrid, is expected to provide stiff competition to whoever is in the running for the prize.
The Ballon d’Or, which both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi have largely dominated over the last decade, saw the Argentina captain add another to his record-extending accolade following his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Source: YEN.com.gh
