The Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi GOAT debate never ends. For more than a decade, they have scored numerous goals, won the best individual awards and won the best trophies in the sport, both for club and country.
The two have changed the fabric of the sport, dividing fans into choosing either one of them. Along with many fans, many former football legends also have a choice in the matter. One such former player, Gary Neville, also had a clear winner in the debate, despite a certain incident.
Neville addresses Messi-Ronaldo GOAT debate
Gary Neville was a former player for Manchester United and had captained the team too. He shared the same pitch as a young Cristiano Ronaldo broke into the global stage with United. So, the Englishman knew firsthand what Ronaldo was like and what his abilities were. In fact, he has already in the past chosen the Portuguese striker over rival Lionel Messi as his GOAT.
Recently, Gary Neville spoke in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca. There, he spoke about many things, including Ronaldo’s second spell as a Manchester United player.
At the end of the answer, he reiterated Ronaldo as his GOAT choice: “He is still my favorite player of all time and the one I like the most when I talk about who is the greatest of all time. I know that many people would say Messi, but I love Cristiano.”
Neville and Ronaldo shared the pitch ever since the latter joined in 2003, until his departure in 2009. So, he saw the young kid grow up to become the global star he is.
Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed Neville following criticism
It is surprising to see Neville still choose Ronaldo, even though he had a spat with the player. Neville once criticized the Portuguese striker after he left the tunnel before the final whistle in a 2022 victory against Tottenham. This led to Ronaldo subsequently snubbing his former teammate in a later match. Despite meeting up with many other pundits, he ignored Neville, who tried to shake hands with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Later, in an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo slammed Neville and Wayne Rooney for their criticism of him saying, “They are not my friends, they are colleagues. We play together, theyāre not coming, weāre not ever having dinner together.”
Despite being snubbed and blocked by Ronaldo, Neville seems to still be honest about his opinion, which makes him a better person for it. Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for Al-Nassr and has a game against Istiklol this Tuesday.
