Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Thomas Muller Changes His mind on GOAT Debate
- Thomas Muller has once again shared his thoughts on who he believes is football’s greatest of all time between Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi
- The argument on who is better between the legendary Real Madrid forward and 2022 World Cup winner has raged for many years
- The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has been the defining feature of modern football for over a decade
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Thomas Muller has revisited the greatest of all time debate, weighing in on whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi deserves the crown.
For more than 15 years, Ronaldo and Messi have dominated world football, cementing their places as two of the greatest players of all time.
Widely regarded as the defining figures of their generation, their achievements remain unmatched.
Source: Getty Images
Messi, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, has collected a record eight Ballon d’Or titles.
The Argentine maestro's international trophy cabinet includes two Copa América triumphs and the 2022 World Cup.
Ronaldo, with five Ballon d’Or awards, first burst onto the scene when Manchester United signed him from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for £12 million.
He went on to win three Premier League titles and the Champions League at Old Trafford before making a blockbuster switch to Real Madrid in 2009, per Al Jazeera.
At Madrid, his legendary El Clásico duels with Messi became football folklore, while internationally, he lifted the European Championship and Nations League with Portugal.
Muller changes his mind on GOAT debate
In the past, Muller has shared his thoughts on who he believed deserved the “GOAT” crown.
However, in a recent interview with MLS, the newest star signing for the Vancouver Whitecaps took a definitive stance.
Source: Getty Images
Having previously leaned towards Real Madrid and Manchester United legend Ronaldo, the former Bayern Munich forward has now declared Messi as the greatest player the game has ever seen.
This change of heart comes after years of facing both icons in some of football’s biggest clashes.
When asked in the interview to give his verdict on the GOAT debate, Muller explained via GOAL:
"Lionel Messi is the GOAT. In my first 10 years as a professional player, I would have chosen Cristiano Ronaldo, but since the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, it's been Messi for me. Now, as I get older and more romantic myself, playing style and aesthetics are more important to me than individual performance, work ethic, and so on. Both are absolutely crazy. I don't know why it worked so often against him [Messi]."
Watch video of Muller's stance on GOAT debate below:
Muller's change of mind is particularly noteworthy given his storied history against both superstars.
With Bayern Munich, the German legend inflicted a number of memorable defeats on Messi's Barcelona, including the historic 8-2 thrashing in the 2020 Champions League, as seen in the video below.
With the German national team, he was part of the squad that defeated Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.
In a previous interview, Muller had openly admitted that he chose Ronaldo because he "had good stats against Messi, but not against Ronaldo."
However, with age, his criteria for greatness have shifted from a purely statistical, data-driven perspective to a more philosophical one.
Muller isn’t the only star to have shifted his stance in the GOAT debate. Sergio Ramos also declared Messi the greatest of all time after playing alongside him at PSG, despite spending nine years with Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, other football stars, including Erling Haaland, has picked Ronaldo as their GOAT.
Okocha chooses between Messi and Ronaldo
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that former Nigeria captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha once added his voice to the debate on who between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is the GOAT.
The argument on who is better between the legendary Real Madrid forward and 2022 World Cup winner has raged for many years.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
