Arsenal Boss Arteta's Opinion on Messi and Ronaldo When Naming His Dream Five a Side Team

• Opinion has always been divided on who between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is the superior
• Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta recently appeared to show where his loyalty lies in a long-standing debate
• Messi and Ronaldo have won 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them, with the Argentine winning eight

Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta may have inadvertently previously settled the never-ending GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two iconic veterans have dominated the football scene for years, with the duo winning an incredible 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them.

According to Sportbible, despite their success both on and off the pitch, opinion remains divided on who between the two is the greatest of all time.

Fans, pundits, and even footballers have - for the longest time - weighed in on the GOAT debate, with the argument seemingly never able to be settled.

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

Football

Arteta 'settles' GOAT debate

Arteta is one of the high-profile personalities in the game who has been involved in the long-standing debate.

However, unlike many who have made their choices clear between Messi and Ronaldo, the Spaniard may have made his choice clear unknowingly.

In a recent interview with Planet Football, the former midfielder seemed to have 'settled' the GOAT debate while picking his dream five-a-side team.

"The No. 1 and I didn’t play with him or manage [him] - it would have to be Leo Messi," the Gunners boss said.

"That’s for sure because he’s been in my opinion the most influential player ever in the history of football. We’ve never seen someone do what he has done on the pitch for that many years."

"Then with Ronaldo, I would do the same thing and I would put the other [Brazilian] Ronaldo because since I was a kid, I was in love with him," he continued.

Harry Maguire: Man United star sings Cristiano Ronaldo praises, names him as the GOAT

Football

Arteta completed his five-a-side team with the additions of Johan Cruyff and the late Diego Maradona.

How Ronaldo reacted to Portugal's victory

Portugal secured a 2-0 victory against Iceland at home, concluding their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a flawless record of 10 consecutive wins in Group J.

Led by Ronaldo, the Selecao wrapped up their campaign with 30 points, a significant eight ahead of Slovakia, securing both teams' places in next year's finals in Germany.

Despite not scoring, Ronaldo expressed emotions about the win on social media, celebrating Portugal winning all of their qualification matches, as Sports Brief reported.