When it’s all said and done, Cristiano Ronaldo will go down as among the greatest to kick a ball. Unfortunately for the Portuguese sensation, he is competing with another iconic star, Lionel Messi The intense rivalry between the 2 meant that CR7 hasn’t gotten the credit he truly deserves. After all, Messi has more Ballon d’Ors and a World Cup medal, a trophy that has evaded CR7. As a result, many supporters reckon that the Argentine maestro holds the edge in the Goat debate. Now, a former Saudi star says that Messi’s existence is what prevented Ronaldo from being soccer’s greatest.

Former Al Shabab star Ahmed Atif gave his take on the intense Cristiano Ronaldo-Messi debate. He said, “Ronaldo is talented, but his problem is that he existed in the era of Messi, and he does not compare with Messi. This is not a disparagement of Ronaldo. If Messi had not existed in this generation, Ronaldo would have become the greatest player.” Atif’s words of praise for the Inter Miami talisman did not stop there.

According to Atif, the Argentine playmaker is at a different level from the great players from previous generations as well. He said, “Messi surpassed even previous generations, Zidane, Maradona, Pele.” Hence, it’s safe to say that Atif pretty much considers Messi as the G.O.A.T.

The competition between the two greats was sensationalized by the media. As a matter of fact, there is a belief that the rivalry inspired the players to continually improve themselves. While everybody knows the greatness of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, what separates the two? A defender who has faced the iconic duo recently shared his experience.

Sporting CP star reveals the one difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi

Sebastian Coate, center-back of Sporting CP, revealed his experience of marking the soccer legends. He said, “Cristiano Ronaldo inside the box is a player you can’t leave half a meter because you know he’s going to score.” According to Coate, Messi is a ball-to-feet player and hence is dangerous even ‘outside the box‘ as well.  He also named Messi as the most complicated of the two since he had more space to get the ball.

Coate’s analysis is the reason why many prefer Messi to the Portuguese great. While Cristiano Ronaldo is among the best goalscorers to ever live, Messi has the double threat. The Argentine maestro is equally good at finishing and setting up his teammates. This was summed up by Jamie Carragher who named CR7 as the greatest goalscorer, and Messi as the greatest player.