Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he does not believe arch-rival Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time in a bombshell interview. The Al-Nassr star sat down with Piers Morgan for a catch-up on his life since moving to Saudi Arabia, and the Portuguese forward revealed he does not see the Argentine great as the best to ever play the game.
The biggest debate in football
For years, fans have been debating whether Ronaldo or Messi can claim the title of GOAT. Both are now in the twilight of their careers, with the former seeking a title with Al-Nassr in the Middle East, and the latter pursuing glory in Major League Soccer under the watchful eye of David Beckham at Inter Miami. Across the years, both have refrained from speaking negatively about each other as they claimed La Liga titles, Ballon d'Or awards and countless other pieces of silverware, but Ronaldo has now definitively given his answer to the big debate.
Sitting down on 'Piers Morgan Unsensored', Ronaldo was asked by the presenter whether Messi is the GOAT. His response was simply: "Messi better than me? I don't agree with that opinion. I don't want to be humble."
Humble is a word not often associated with Ronaldo, who has been known for his showmanship over the years. And as he continues to tally the goals at Al-Nassr, the Real Madrid and Manchester United legend believes he has proven why he deserves to be recognised as the best. Fans will have to wait for the full answer to the question, with part one of his interview with Morgan set to be releasee on Tuesday, November 4.
AdvertisementAFPRooney snubs former team-mate
As part of the preview, Ronaldo was also quizzed on the comments of his former United team-mate Wayne Rooney. Over 10 years ago, the England icon made it clear that he had a favourite between the ex-Red Devils No.7 and Messi. He said: "They're two different players. But I think Messi's incredible. I think he's the best ever, so I'd have to say Messi. But Ronaldo has been a bit unlucky because, in any other time, he'd be winning all the awards Messi has. But they're two of the best players of all time."
It was a surprising moment considering Rooney shared the pitch with Ronaldo, but the 40-year-old was unbothered by the quotes. He simply responded: "It doesn't pose any problem for me." Since then, Rooney has gone on to clarify that just because he chose Messi, does not mean he has a bad opinion of Ronaldo. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, he clarified: "People think I hate him! I love him! I think he's an absolute genius; what he's doing is incredible. I don't think people realize how close he and I were. Just because I've said Messi is better than Ronaldo, people think I don't like Cristiano. What he's doing. To be honest, over the last couple of years, I'm thinking, 'Do you know what?', he's probably gonna be the one when you look back, Cristiano, because he keeps going.
"I think these last three seasons he's the top goalscorer in Saudi [Arabia] and whatever. I absolutely love Messi, I love watching him play, and that was the only reason because I think Messi had a little bit more in terms of how he played, and taking players on. Ronaldo's a killer. People think because I've said Messi is better than Ronaldo, that I don't like him or I speak down on him. [I prefer the way Messi plays], that's it – you might prefer Cristiano, this person might prefer Messi or Ronaldo, but I don't think you can argue with any of them two. I just like the little flair about Messi, and that's it.
"Cristiano's an absolute genius in what he's doing; he's just turned 40, and what he's doing is incredible."
No signs of stopping
Despite celebrating his 40th birthday in February, Ronaldo has shown no signs of slowing down on the pitch. In 2025-26, he's already bagged nine goals in 10 appearances across all competitions for Al-Nassr. The talisman has made it very clear that he would like to win silverware in Saudi Arabia, something he has so far failed to do since moving from United in 2022. The only other major achievement to pass the global superstar by is the World Cup. While Ronaldo has made it very clear that he is not thinking about retirement yet, he will surely only get one last chance to lift the biggest prize of them all in 2026, perhaps facing Messi one final time.
GettyFocus on Al-Nassr
For now, though, Ronaldo's focus remains on domestic football. Al-Nassr sit at the top of the Saudi Pro League after seven games, and have a four-point cushion to Al-Taawoun in second. Next up for the five-time Champions League winner is an AFC Cup clash with Goa, on Wednesday evening.