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Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once picked Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. The two superstars of modern football have dominated the world of football for close to two decades.
While the Portuguese and the Argentine legends are at the end of their careers, their impact on the beautiful game remains undiminished. They have divided opinion across the football universe and Arsene Wenger, like most people, had also chosen a side in the GOAT debate.
Speaking to SoFoot in 2020, the Frenchman hinted that he prefers Lionel Messi, the ‘artist,’ over Cristiano Ronaldo, the ‘athlete.’
“I often say that Cristiano Ronaldo is the athlete-footballer, and Lionel Messi, the exceptional artist, this is the difference between the two. Afterwards, everyone prefers one or the other. When we like the game, we prefer the artist. The creative makes you discover things that you do not see, that you have not even considered from the stands,” Wenger said.
He continued:
“It’s (creative style) finer, even if I don’t deny the quality of the Portuguese star. I just believe that football has evolved into the Ronaldo style. This does not mean that we should eliminate the creative. The rules must evolve to make the game more spectacular, more beautiful to see.”
The Argentine is currently plying his trade with Inter Miami, having moved to the MLS in 2023. The Portuguese, meanwhile, is with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
How many assists have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi registered in their careers?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may have captivated the world with their goalscoring exploits, but they have also set up several goals in their careers. The Portuguese icon recently crossed the fabled 900-goal mark and is now on 908 goals from 1250 games.
The 39-year-old has also registered 255 assists in his career. The Argentine icon, meanwhile, is close behind in the goalscoring race, with 849 goals from 1080 games.
However, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is the clear winner in the assists chart. Messi has registered 378 assists in his career so far.
The Argentine has been in fine form for Inter Miami this season as well, registering 22 goals and 13 assists from 24 games. The 37-year-old is now preparing to face Atlanta United in the third game of the MLS Playoffs Round One on Saturday (November 9).
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has 10 goals and three assists from 15 games for Al-Nassr this season.
Edited by Parag Jain