Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous athletes in soccer history, having won almost everything in the sport. The Portuguese superstar has the most goals in soccer and has broken so many other records. He has won so many trophies for his teams, and his contributions to those are still remembered fondly.
But he has a fierce competitor in Lionel Messi, who has been his eternal rival since their first clash in the Champions League. Fans and players are often divided on this topic, with each choosing one of the two legends such as Kevin De Bruyne.
Theo Hernandez opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo
Many players have played with either of the two legends, with some preferring one over the other. And sometimes players choose the opposite of who they played with. Theo Hernandez, who is currently a star player at AC Milan, was once a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo during their time at Real Madrid together.
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— CR7's PR manager (@RONALDOthabeast) February 10, 2024
🆕Theo Hernandez ( AC Milan Player ) When asked to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi:
"I like Cristiano a lot, but we don't have to choose. I was lucky enough to have Cristiano as a teammate and Messi as an opponent. I appreciate them both, they each have a… pic.twitter.com/9gAvGzT7aL
Recently, he was asked in an interview about many things, including whether he would return to Real Madrid. He also spoke positively about Ronaldo, calling him an icon and reference for still playing at the age of 39.
He was then asked whether he preferred Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi. He did admit his preference for his former teammate, but he did not outright label him as a better player. He said, “I like Cristiano a lot, but we don’t have to choose. I was lucky enough to have Cristiano as a teammate and Messi as an opponent. I appreciate them both, they each have a unique style and have left an indelible mark on football.”
Theo witnessed Lionel Messi’s brilliance on the pitch many times, including when he lost the World Cup final to Messi’s Argentina in 2022.
Another former teammate snubbed the Portuguese in favour of Lionel Messi
And Theo is not the only one who has an unexpected opinion in the GOAT debate. While he was undecided between the two players, another player outright chose Messi as the best despite playing with Ronaldo.
That player is retired former Manchester United soccer player Kieran Richardson, who shared the same dressing room with Ronaldo during his first 4 seasons there. They even shared the same pitch on more than 40 occasions.
Former Man United midfielder Kieran Richardson insists Leo Messi is BETTER than Cristiano Ronaldo
— Bliss ❤️ (@arinzechukwuab1) March 15, 2023
Kieran Richardson, who played 81 times for Manchester United after making his way through their academy, has branded Messi the greatest footballer of all time. pic.twitter.com/cCt2ahYsnW
Richardson admitted he loved Ronaldo as a player, but still chose Messi as his GOAT, “They’re both the GOATs, but, if I had to pick one, then I have to pick Messi, even though I know Ronaldo, I’ve played with Ronaldo, I love Ronaldo.” He attributed the World Cup success by Messi as his reason.
It seems that Lionel Messi can sway even the teammates of Cristiano Ronaldo to choose him as their GOAT, which may annoy him a bit.
