Former Real Madrid Boss Fabio Capello Claims Lionel Messi is Better Than Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Real Madrid Boss Fabio Capello Claims Lionel Messi is Better Than Cristiano Ronaldo

Fred Kennedy
April 23, 2024 at 5:54 PM
In this article:
Lionel Messi logo
L.Messi
Inter Miami CF logoFArgentina logo
Inter Miami CF logo
Club Internacional de Futbol Miami
United States
27
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Saudi Professional League logo
KSA Professional League
Saudi Arabia
Al Nassr FC logo
Al Nassr
Saudi Arabia
33
  • Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the football scene
  • The duo is widely regarded as two of the finest players of their generation
  • The legends have won 13 Ballon d'Or awards, with Messi winning three more

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Legendary manager Fabio Capello, who steered Real Madrid to glory twice, has reignited the never-ending Lionel Messi vs Ronaldo debate.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football scene for years, with the success cementing their place as two of the finest players of their generation.

Lionel Messi walks past Cristiano Ronaldo during the Winter Tour 2023 friendly between Paris Saint-Germain and Riyadh XI at King Fahd International Stadium. Photo by Yasser Bakhsh.
Lionel Messi walks past Cristiano Ronaldo during the Winter Tour 2023 friendly between Paris Saint-Germain and Riyadh XI at King Fahd International Stadium. Photo by Yasser Bakhsh.
Source: Getty Images

To put their dominance into perspective, the duo has won an incredible 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them, with Messi winning a record eight.

Given the duo's success, opinion has always been divided on who between them is the greatest of all time.

Capello has become the latest high-profile player to delve into the GOAT debate.

Capello chooses between Messi and Ronaldo

While acknowledging Ronaldo's immense talent, the legendary manager does not place the Portuguese on the same pedestal as the Inter Miami star.

"Ronaldo's a phenomenal player, a goal-scoring machine. He's stacked trophies and Ballon d'Ors, but he hasn't reached Messi's level of genius," Capello declared via Sportskeeda.
"I saw Messi at the Gamper trophy, and within 25 minutes, I was asking Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard if I could loan him! He was a genius on the pitch," Capello reminisced.

This debate got a fresh twist this weekend after Messi, now dazzling in Major League Soccer for Inter Miami, shattered a record previously held by Ronaldo.

With a brace against Nashville SC, Messi became the fastest player to reach 830 goals in 1,056 games – a staggering 100 games fewer than Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar currently sits at 885 goals across his career.

While Messi rewrites history books, Ronaldo is not slowing down either.

Recently, he bagged his 65th career hat-trick in a Saudi Pro League match against Abha Club.

Ronaldo takes Georgina on holiday

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Ronaldo taking time off his busy schedule to spend with his family.

The Al Nassr star recently shared photos of him and his partner, Georgina, spending some good time together.

Authors
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Fred Kennedy
Editor - Europe Team