World soccer stars choose Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo as Champions League GOAT

For over 15 years, the soccer world has debated who the greatest of all time (GOAT) is: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. While opinions remain divided with valid arguments on both sides, some of today’s brightest talents didn’t hesitate when asked who comes to mind first when discussing the Champions League.

In a video posted on the official social media accounts of Europe’s premier club tournament, numerous top players unanimously chose Messi. Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, Yann Sommer and Denzel Dumfries, and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch, all named the Inter Miami forward as their pick, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo in the shadows.

Messi’s choice is not without reason. He has lifted the Champions League trophy four times with Barcelona—in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. He also holds several prestigious records in the competition, including being the top scorer in both the group stage and the round of 16. Moreover, Messi is the player with the most goals for a single club (120 for Barcelona) and has scored in the most consecutive seasons (18) in the tournament’s history.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s case for Champions League dominance

Ronaldo, of course, boasts his own impressive Champions League resume. In a similar video released days earlier, stars such as Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold picked CR7 as the Champions League’s most iconic figure.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr looks on prior the AFC Champions League Elite match between Al Nassr and Al Rayyan at Al Awwal Park on September 30, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the comparison with Messi, Ronaldo has a clear edge in certain statistics—he has won more titles (five in total, one with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid, including three in a row) and is the competition’s all-time top scorer with 140 goals. He also holds the record for the most appearances (183) in the tournament.

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Haaland and other stars suggest Cristiano Ronaldo is Champions League GOAT

Messi vs. Ronaldo: the head-to-head in the Champions League

Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other six times in the Champions League, with an even split of two wins each and two draws. In those encounters, Messi netted three goals, while Ronaldo scored twice.

However, the most decisive moment between the two came in the 2009 Champions League final when Messi scored one of the goals in Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Ronaldo’s Manchester United, cementing his place in the competition’s history books.