"He is the No. 1 in the world" - When Marc Cucurella picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea's Marc Cucurella once shared his opinion on the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The left-back revealed that to him, Messi is the best footballer in the world, having played with him at Barcelona.

In a discussion on GOAL's Simply The Best in 2023, Cucurella said:

"Lionel Messi, because for me he is the No. 1 in the world. I played with him at Barcelona and I trained with him a lot. The most incredible thing is that when you watch the game he’s walking a lot, [but] he’s watching everything, watching the space. And then when he receives the ball he has the information and the gaps in his mind [so] he is ready to ‘kill’ the other team."

The GOAT controversy involving La Pulga and Ronaldo has been long-lived, as both players were privileged to be in the same generation. Moreover, the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid arguably heightened the contest between the pair.

At Barcelona, Lionel Messi was known to be the savior of the team, having led them to various trophies in his 21-year stint. Meanwhile, despite Real Madrid's rich heritage, Cristiano Ronaldo registered a stint that arguably makes him the best player that the Bernabeu has seen since inception.

While Cucurella prefers Messi, football players and fans remain divided as to who is the best between the duo. Messi has delivered 672 goals and 303 in 778 games for La Blagurana. His rival, CR7 registered 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 outings for Los Merengues.

When Gareth Bale shared his opinion in the GOAT debate involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final 2025 - Source: Getty

During his stint in the Spanish capital, Gareth Bale was once asked to weigh in on the GOAT debate involving his former attacking partner and Messi. The former Real Madrid winger claimed Ronaldo was more of a complete package than his rival.

In an interview, the now-retired Los Blancos star said in 2024 (via GOAL):

“For me, personally, I’d say Ronaldo. He’s got the whole package. He’s strong, he’s powerful, he’s pacey, can head the ball, strike the ball. Obviously, you can’t say anything bad about Messi, but for the all-round complete footballer, I’d say Cristiano Ronaldo.”

CR7 is known to be an attacker who could score with his right, left and head. Meanwhile, Messi is more centered on creativity, but he could also deliver goals. Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo has registered more career club goals (794) than Messi (760).

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee