"Both have an incredible winning mentality" - When Angel Di Maria picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo 

Argentina star Angel Di Maria once made his pick in the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The winger has played alongside both Messi and Ronaldo at the club and international level.

Apart from being Lionel Messi's compatriot, Di Maria has also shared the pitch with him at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The duo has played together in 142 games for club and country, recording 16 joint-goal participations. Meanwhile, the Argentine has shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, notably winning La Decima (10th UEFA Champions League title) together in 2014.

In a 2024 interview with L'Equipe, Angel Di Maria shared his take on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's age-old debate. The Argentine chose his compatriot as the greatest footballer in history and said (via Bolavip):

"They both have an incredible winning mentality. But when it comes down to it, the best is the one with the most Ballon d’Ors, and Messi has eight. For me, that creates a certain distance between him and Cristiano."

He continued:

"After dominating the sport for so many years, people are still talking about them globally, even as they play in the United States and Saudi Arabia. Their rivalry elevated La Liga and made the world fall in love with soccer. With Messi now in the U.S., Americans are beginning to rediscover the sport."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been pitted against each other over the last two decades. Their rivalry was at its peak between 2009 and 2018, when they represented archrivals, Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. Their feud led to a meteoric rise in the popularity of Clasicos, with the legends clashing against each other at least twice each season.

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When Diego Maradona shared his opinion on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Messi and Maradona (L to R) - Source: Getty

In a 2017 interview with TyC Sports (h/t IOL), late Argentine legend Diego Maradona shared his two cents on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate. At that time, their rivalry was at its peak while both played in LaLiga. Maradona chose Messi over Ronaldo, but also acknowledged the Portuguese talisman's greatness.

"I can't remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly. I prefer Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, but I acknowledge that the latter is an animal. He's incredible. He makes me think of Gabriel Batistuta. As soon as he touched the ball, it was a goal," Maradona said.

Maradona also claimed Messi does not need a World Cup to prove himself. At the time of his comments, the former Barcelona superstar did not have any international accolades with Argentina.

"Alone, he will not be able to win the World Cup. You need a solid team for that. Football history will remember Messi. Football has given him a lot, as much as he has given the sport and to win a World Cup, in my opinion, wouldn't bring himself anything else," he said.

Diego Maradona breathed his last in Argentina in November 2020 following a cardiac arrest. A year after his passing, Messi won his first international title with La Albiceleste with the 2021 Copa America. He then led the team to their historic third World Cup title in 2022, alongside the 2024 Copa America.

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar