Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney picks perfect time to comment on greatest of all time debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in World
11/18/2022 11:35 AM
Wayne Rooney has doubled down on his opinion that Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time – ahead of ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The Manchester United legend weighed in on the debate in 2020 where he stated he is putting his friendship with Ronaldo aside to opt for the Argentine ace. GettyRooney has overlooked former United teammate Ronaldo in the GOAT debate[/caption] AFPRooney has named Argentina legend Messi as the best footballer in history[/caption] Fast forward two years, and Ronaldo has revealed the pair are not friends as he ripped into the DC United boss. Rooney warned Ronaldo last week how he is at risk of becoming an ‘unwelcome distraction’ at Old Trafford with United better off without him in the team. It led the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to state he doesn’t count England’s all-time top scorer as a friend in his bombshell interview, while also stating he is better looking. He even labelled the former Everton star as a ‘rat’, but Rooney issued a classy response as he described the Portugal international as a ‘fantastic player’. But in his World Cup column for The Times, Rooney has run the risk of angering Ronaldo even further by once again stating that Messi is the best footballer in history. Commenting on whether winning the World Cup with Argentina will cement his legacy as the GOAT, Rooney said: “People said the same about Cristiano Ronaldo winning the Euros with Portugal in 2016. Most read in football bombshell How to watch explosive Cristiano Ronaldo interview with Piers Morgan in full DRY Beer BANNED at World Cup as Qatar force FIFA into U-turn and Budweiser post response out Man United looking to sack Ronaldo as club confirm they are taking 'appropriate steps' heated Piers Morgan vs Simon Jordan: Hosts in fiery debate over Cristiano Ronaldo interview classy Rooney labels Ronaldo a 'fantastic player' in measured response to interview dig UPSET Awkward moment for Bent as ex-teammate Gyan grills him over Sunderland exit “It would be a great story for football if either Messi or Ronaldo won the World Cup. “I have heard some of the Argentine players saying that they want to win it for Messi. That’s crazy — and might only increase the pressure on them. “Everyone has different views on Messi and Ronaldo but I have said many times that I think Messi is the best. “I have watched lots of videos of Diego Maradona, who was a similar player, but Messi is better. GettyRooney has been slammed by Ronaldo in the Portugal international’s interview to TalkTV[/caption] “He has everything — the way he controls games, his dribbling, his assists — whereas Ronaldo is more of a goalscorer.” And Rooney has named Argentina as his favourites to lift the trophy in Qatar on the back of their Copa America triumph, with Lionel Scaloni’s side unbeaten in 36 games. He stated: “For me, Argentina are the favourites. “Unlike in 2018, they have plenty of good, solid players around Lionel Messi such as Lautaro Martinez, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul and of course Angel Di Maria. “Winning the Copa America last year will have given them confidence and has taken a bit of pressure off them. The climate will suit them too. “The only thing they are missing is a No 9, that focal point in attack, but I think they will be really dangerous.” talkSPORT World Cup 2022 Coverage talkSPORT will be offering wall-to-wall coverage of the 2022 World Cup We’ll be broadcasting all 64 games in the tournament live, with over 600 hours of coverage across our network. You can tune in to talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com. talkSPORT is widely available across the UK via DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM. You can also download the talkSPORT app, or ask your smart speaker to play talkSPORT.
