Wayne Rooney chooses Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest soccer player ever

Wayne Rooney, one of England’s finest and a Manchester United legend, ranks sixth in all-time appearances for the club. Having shared the field with Cristiano Ronaldo but not Lionel Messi, Rooney revealed that, in his view, the Argentine star stands above his former teammate.

Rooney acknowledges that Cristiano and Messi, who were at the heart of the famous rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, are both among the best ever. Still, he chooses Messi over his former United teammate, a choice that might come as a surprise to fans.

Back in 2018, Rooney was asked to name the best between Messi and CR7. “Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi? Messi. I’ve said it before: the two of them are probably the best two players to have played the game, but I just think Messi is, in my eyes, the greatest of all time,” Rooney shared on the Pardon My Take podcast.

Despite his years alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, Rooney firmly believes the Argentina captain stands above any other player in history.

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona in action against Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United during the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC at Wembley Stadium. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Rooney’s all-time greatest team

Alongside his choice of Messi over Ronaldo, Rooney didn’t hesitate to name his pick for the greatest team of all time in a 2018 interview with The Sun. Not surprisingly, he selected a team that included the Argentine forward.

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“In my view, Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona was the best team of all time,” said Rooney, who later played for Derby County. In the same interview, he commented on Messi, who at that time hadn’t yet won the 2022 World Cup: “Lionel Messi is the best player ever. What he does is incredible; he has a bit of everything. You can watch him from scoring goals to playing as a pure midfielder.”

Rooney and Guardiola: A unique relationship

Rooney’s career in England overlapped with Guardiola’s arrival in the Premier League as manager of Manchester City, United’s cross-town rival. Despite their competition, Rooney has openly expressed respect for Guardiola’s influence on soccer.

Yet, following England’s disappointing exit from Euro 2024, Rooney offered a critique of Guardiola’s impact on English soccer. “The game has become much more positional. Everyone is trying to score the perfect goal. I think that’s Pep’s fault. He brought that mentality to England,” Rooney commented.