Former Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo teammate Deco chooses the greatest soccer player of all time

For nearly two decades, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the global soccer scene as two of the greatest players of all time. Few have had the privilege of sharing a locker room with both legends. Among them is Portuguese midfielder Deco, who has now weighed in on who he thinks is the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Deco played with Messi during the early years of the Argentine’s career at Barcelona, from 2004 to 2008. Simultaneously, he was a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo on the Portugal national team from 2003 to 2010. Together, they were part of the team that finished fourth at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Ahead of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League semifinal clash against Germany, Deco was asked by Portuguese outlet A Bola whether Cristiano Ronaldo still deserved a spot on the national team. Deco, now the Sporting Director at Barcelona, didn’t hesitate.

“Should Ronaldo be called up for Portugal? That question doesn’t even need to be asked. It’s disrespectful,” the Barcelona Sporting Director told reporters. “Cristiano is the best Portuguese player—he’s the greatest player in the history of world soccer”.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal is congratulated by teammate Deco after scoring his teams second goal during the UEFA EURO 2008. (Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Deco’s surprising response in the past

However, Deco hasn’t always given the same answer when asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo. In a 2022 interview with Cara a Tapa, the former Porto player admitted that while it’s tough to choose between the two, he ultimately leans toward Messi, praising the Argentine’s unique qualities.

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“They are two friends, it’s hard to choose,” Deco confessed. “This topic is very old, it’s one to end up debating. I always say that if you analyze Messi, he has nothing of Cristiano. And if you analyze Cristiano, he has nothing of Messi. You can compare Cristiano Ronaldo with Ronaldo (Nazário) because of his playing style. Messi and Cristiano are very different”.

“I’ve always been passionate about technical players. I’m from a generation where my idols were Maradona and Zico,” he continued. “I was never much about the forward guys; I was always about those with those qualities. That’s why I end up going with Messi”.

Deco’s time with Messi and Ronaldo

Deco naturally played more matches alongside Messi, having spent four seasons together at Barcelona. During that period, they appeared in 79 games together, with Messi scoring eight goals assisted by the Portuguese midfielder. Deco also won two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, and a UEFA Champions League alongside Messi.

With Ronaldo, Deco only played at the international level. Together, they appeared in 57 matches for Portugal, with the former Manchester United forward scoring five goals assisted by Deco. Although they didn’t win international titles together, they were part of the team that lost to Greece in the Euro 2004 final and finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.