Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi is a debate that has raged on for the past decade.
Two of the greatest players to have ever played the game have gone head-to-head for individual honours ever since 2008.
Messi now leads Ronaldo 6-5 in terms of Ballon d'Ors after his recent triumph.
In fairness, there’s an argument for both to be dubbed the GOAT. Messi has won the most Ballon d’Ors and has scored a ridiculous 626 goals in 716 appearances for Barcelona, winning everything there is to win at club level.
Ronaldo may have one fewer but he’s won league titles in three different countries as well as leading Portugal to two international trophies. Some football fans prefer Messi and some football fans prefer Ronaldo.
And that’s absolutely fine.
Or is it?
Because according to three-time Ballon d’Or winner Marco van Basten, those fans who think Ronaldo is better than Messi don't understand football.
“Ronaldo is a great player,” Van Basten said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
But those who claim that he is stronger than Messi do not understand football or are in bad faith.
“Messi is unique. Inimitable and unrepeatable. Like him, one every fifty years. As a child, he fell into the pot of the football genius.”
Harsh? Quite possibly. But Van Basten is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game himself so his opinion isn’t exactly invalid.
But Van Basten’s opinion isn’t one we agree with.
Ronaldo has had a quite incredible career and, at the age of 35, is still going strong.
To accuse those supporters who think he’s better than Messi of not understanding football is just wrong.
We should just appreciate the two players for what they are because, in a few years’ time, they will have both retired and the sport will much poorer for it.