Gerard Piqué is sharing his thoughts on one of modern soccer's biggest debates. The Spanish player and Barcelona F.C. legend was featured on a new podcast, discussing his career and opening up about his partnership and friendship with his longtime colleague and friend Lionel Messi. He also revealed who he thought was the better player, Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
© Getty ImagesIn an interview with The Late Run Show, Piqué was asked about who was the most talented player when they were kids, whether it was Messi or Ronaldo. His answer was definitive.
"For me, Messi," said Piqué. "I started playing with him when we were 13, and the guy was insane. We were winning all the games 15 - 0. The guy scored a lot of goals. The question mark was that, at the time, he was very small."
Despite his full endorsement of his friend, he gave credit to Ronaldo and his career, especially how he managed to develop an understanding of his skills and how to be the best player he could be on the pitch. "Cristiano was different," he said.
© GettyImages"Cristiano is very strong, very skillful. At the time, he was playing as a winger, not a striker. But during his career, he was able to understand where he could be more impactful."
He continued to praise Ronaldo's work ethic. "Cristiano was a machine who worked like crazy every day. As far as work goes, I've never seen anyone prepare as much as he did," he said, as reported by Marca.
He concluded his statement by labeling the two as the best players in soccer history, with Ronaldo following Messi closely. "I would put Messi as the best in the world, and very close would be Cristiano. They are the best in history," he said.
© GettyImagesRonaldo and Messi's rivalry
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have one of soccer's most discussed rivalries, peaking during the years 2008 through 2021, when the two played in the European league and won 13 Ballon d'Ors in total. During these years, the pair played on opposing teams in the Spanish league, Real Madrid and Barcelona, encouraging media coverage and passionate fan engagement.
In an interview with Mundo Deporte, Messi discussed their rivalry, making it clear that it never moved beyond the pitch and helped them become better athletes. "It was an epic competition between brackets," he said.
"Athletically, he was very good, and I think we benefited from each other because we are both very competitive, and he also always wants to win over everyone and everything. I think it was a very beautiful period for us and for those who love football in general."
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