The debate over who is the greatest of all time in football, between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, is likely to continue indefinitely, and legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his views on the matter.
For nearly 15 years, Messi and Ronaldo were the dominant figures in global football, consistently regarded as the top two players in the world.
Messi progressed through Barcelona’s youth system and has won eight Ballon d’Or awards throughout his illustrious career. During his tenure at Camp Nou, he netted 672 goals in 778 appearances, securing 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. In the latter part of his career, Messi has played for Paris Saint-Germain and is currently with MLS team Inter Miami. Additionally, he has celebrated international success with Argentina, winning two Copa America titles and the World Cup in 2022.
Ronaldo’s career has largely paralleled Messi’s, with both players frequently competing against each other. The Portuguese forward has also won five Ballon d’Or awards. Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for over £12 million, where he secured three Premier League titles and the Champions League.
In the summer of 2009, he transferred to Real Madrid for a then-record fee of £80 million, where he regularly faced Messi and scored 450 goals in 438 matches, winning four more Champions League titles and two La Liga championships. After a stint at Juventus, he returned to United in 2021, but his second spell ended in late 2022 when his contract was mutually terminated. He subsequently signed with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, where he currently plays.
Like Messi, Ronaldo has achieved success at the international level, winning the Nations League and the European Championships with Portugal.
Sir Alex managed Ronaldo during his first tenure at United and faced Messi’s Barcelona team, which defeated United in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, with Messi scoring in both matches.
After retiring in 2013, Sir Alex shared his perspective on the Ronaldo-Messi debate. While he acknowledged that many view Messi as the best player, he argued that Ronaldo could thrive in a wider range of teams than Messi. In a 2015 interview with the Manchester Evening News, he stated, “People ask who is the best player in the world, and many rightfully say Messi—you can’t dispute that opinion.
“But Ronaldo could play for teams like Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, or Doncaster Rovers and still score a hat-trick. I’m not sure Messi could do that. Ronaldo has two good feet, is quick, great in the air, and is brave—though Messi is brave too. I think of Messi as a Barcelona player.”
