Some debates are never-ending. Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have proved their mettle over the years, leaving fans arguing to decide the best player amongst the duo. However, with everyone entitled to their own opinion, soccer fans are unlikely to reach a unanimous decision anytime soon. Nevertheless, while fans might have a hard time picking their man, Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon has revealed his favorite player. In an interview, the legendary goalkeeper praised Cristiano Ronaldo picking him as the best player in modern history.

Cristiano, for a brief stint, paired up with Buffon during his career, with the two players donning Juventus’ iconic black and white. However, while Buffon was at the twilight years of his career during that time, Cristiano, on the other hand, had been firing on all cylinders, assisting the Italian club bag the league title in the season before Buffon’s return to Turin in 2019. Therefore, Gigi gave his flowers to the Al Nassr star. 

Buffon reveals his amusing conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo

The former Juventus star was present on the “Passa dal BSMT” podcast on YouTube earlier this week as he commented on multiple phases of his career. While on the show, Buffon was asked to name his pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Italian icon give an intriguing response.

Buffon stated, “From modern times, I’ll answer Cristiano Ronaldo, who always scored against me. After 25 seconds of great frustration, I started to think about the beauty of his gesture. And then, a little later, he walked past me, and I asked him: ‘Cristiano, how old are you again?’ And he replied: ‘Not bad for a 33-year-old, eh?’ And we both started laughing.”

The former Juventus goalkeeper then went into detail adding, “The ‘nastiness’ with which I saw him make certain gestures during a match, I haven’t seen in any other player. You could clearly see this ‘mean’ energy, which was, however, the fruit of this desire to win at all costs.”

It is not the first time Buffon hailed Cristiano in a public setting. The Italian icon was full of praise for the Portuguese superstar in an interview back in 2018, where he labeled CR7 as the most decisive player in the current era. And the two legends led a merry dance at Juventus!

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Cristiano and Buffon shared the stage at Juventus

Despite being rivals at the Champions League stage, the duo also played alongside each other from 2019 to 2021. The two had a stunning time together at the Juventus, bagging consecutive Scudetto’s in the 2019/20 and the 2020/21 seasons. Despite their mutual respect, the duo did not split on amicable terms, with Ronaldo forcing his way out of the club in 2021.

Buffon was less than pleased with the ex-Manchester United star, proclaiming the club had lost its DNA with Cristiano at the helm. Yet, it seems like the duo has buried the hatched. Well, Buffon’s recent praises surely signal in that direction. Both the players have left an everlasting legacy to the sport both as rivals and teammates, and it doesn’t seem like an old interview is coming between them anytime soon.

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