'I've watched Ronaldo and Messi's careers – there's no debate who the GOAT is'

Gary Lineker has put the vs greatness debate to bed by claiming “there isn’t a comparison”.

The one matter of opinion that is whether the quick-footed, stylish Argentinian or goal-obsessed enigmatic Portuguese is the greatest player to ever take the field.

Former England striker Lineker has and revealed in 2022 that the opposing party, Al-Nassr forward Ronaldo, has because of his opinion and is therefore .

Now, the host has doubled down in ruthless fashion, reiterating that Messi is his pick for GOAT and that there simply is no longer a debate to be had regarding the pair.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

“The only debate for me in terms of GOAT status is whether it’s him [Messi] or Diego Maradona,” Lineker revealed on his The Rest Is podcast to peers Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

“You can only really judge players you saw enough of in your lifetime. I didn’t really see enough of Pele, but he would probably be the other.

“If you’re talking about a debate between Messi and Cristiano, well, I’m sorry. As much as I admire Cristiano – he's a wonderful, wonderful footballer and a truly brilliant goalscorer – when it comes to actually comparing them as footballers, there isn’t a comparison.”

The slightly taken-a-back chuckles from his fellow pundits forced Lineker to elaborate. “Well, it’s true,” he exclaimed. “Messi is probably the best dribbler we’ve ever seen, possibly along with Diego.

“He's also probably the best passer we've ever seen, he sees things that no one else has ever seen, and his goalscoring numbers are up there with Cristiano’s – you could say the greatest goalscorer we’ve ever seen – but Messi’s numbers are very similar, so.

“As much as I admire Cristiano Ronaldo – he's an absolutely fantastic player – who would you rather watch? They are different players, but if you’re talking about the best footballer, it's all-encompassing.“

Lineker continued in his admiration by further expressing the belief that Messi, now 37 and plying his trade in the MLS, is still the best player on the planet.

The Argentinian scored two hat-tricks within a week for club and country earlier this month – the treble for his club side Inter Miami coming in under half an hour, as Messi only entered the field of play in the 61st minute.

“He’s still the player I’d want to watch in football at the moment. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who has taken up the mantle, so to speak, in terms of his all-around ability at present,” Lineker added. “Whether that happens with someone like Kylian Mbappe over time – I'm not sure he’ll ever be on the level of Messi, but I don’t think anyone will.“

Lineker’s colleague Shearer couldn’t help agreeing with his co-star, as both clearly believe that Messi is the player who still reigns supreme and has for some time.

“I can’t argue with any of your points,” Shearer replied. “ is amazing and has been for god knows how long, but, yeah, Messi.“

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our