"He Reminds Me of Me": Ronnie Coleman Weighs in On Messi vs Ronaldo Debate

• Legendary bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman had a hilarious reason for his pick of the greatest footballer of all time
• Coleman knows a thing or two about greatness as he is the most crowned Mr Olympia with 8 titles to his name
• He was recently asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo and his answer was interesting for several reasons

Bodybuilding legend, Ronnie Coleman, became the latest big name to weigh in on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate with an interesting take on his favourite player.

The two football superstars have dominated the sport for nearly two decades, but it is safe to say their best years are behind them as both are no longer playing in Europe.

Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian giants, Al-Nassr, in January 2023 while Messi recently took the MLS by storm after joining Inter Miami following the expiry of his contract with Paris Saint Germain.

Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer: Is CR7 leaving Manchester United and which clubs are likely to acquire him?

Football

In a recent Q and A session on his YouTube channel, Coleman weighed in on the GOAT debate as he answered a fan question on who he preferred between the two superstars.

The eight-time Mr Olympia did not hesitate in naming Ronaldo as his favourite player, but the reasons behind his choice were as interesting as they were funny.

The 59-year-old’s pick had nothing to do with either player’s ability or talent on the football pitch and he simply made his choice mainly because one of the players had a name that resonated with him.

"That’s a good question. Every now and then I’ll see my name online and it’ll have Ronald and that kind of looks like Ronaldo. That’s another reason why I like Ronaldo. It kind of reminds me of me," he said.

Coleman also hilariously added that he was not 'messy' - another reason why he snubbed Messi.

Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry and Neymar among the 10 greatest players never to win coveted Ballon d'Or

Football

Ronaldo vs Messi in numbers

In terms of stats, Ronaldo fares slightly better than Messi overall.

The Portuguese superstar has made more than 1 170 appearances for both club and country, scoring 840 goals including a crucial equalizer for Al-Nassr on August 3 against Zamalek.

Messi has played considerably fewer games than Ronaldo, making 1 030 appearances across all competitions for club and country.

Per TransferMarkt statistics, the 36-year-old Argentine has notched fewer goals (810) but has also provided 358 assists en route to winning 43 major trophies.

Mane makes Al-Nassr debut

Sports Brief also reported on Sadio Mane debuting for Al-Nassr on August 3. He secured a lucrative four-year deal with the Knights of Nahd following an unsuccessful season with Bayern Munich.

While the Senegalese international aims to increase his already impressive trophy haul, it was a staggering salary offer that dominated discussions surrounding his transfer to the Saudi Pro League.