Cristiano Ronaldo has named the best player he has ever seen live – although he would rather pick himself, according to Piers Morgan.
Speaking in 2022, TV presenter and journalist Morgan said Ronaldo told him in a private conversation that Messi was the greatest player he had ever seen – although he did not admit the Argentine was better than him.
Morgan told talkSPORT: “I had a great chat with Cristiano, we had dinner after I first interviewed him three years ago, it was a really great chat and I like him as a person of integrity.”
“Ronaldo has a lot of respect for Messi and I said to him: ‘Who is the best player you have ever seen?’
“Ronaldo said: ‘Messi, but you’re asking the wrong question, you’re not asking me who is the best player…’, because, of course, Ronaldo has never seen himself play live. So, that makes me laugh.”
“But then he talks about the pair and the difference between them and many other great players, like Ronaldo De Lima, Ronaldinho, George Best, Paul Gascoigne, CR7 says the difference lies in his and Messi’s staying at the top.”
“Messi and Ronaldo have been at the top of their game for 18 or 19 years, and it’s a testament to their incredible dedication, incredible fitness and competitiveness that they’ve definitely pushed each other to new heights.”
Ronaldo said Messi is the best player he has ever watched live (Photo: Getty).
Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He recently reached the milestone of 901 goals in his professional career.
The 39-year-old reached the milestone with his second goal in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Scotland in the UEFA Nations League on September 9.
Never one to stand still, Ronaldo has expressed his desire to reach the 1,000-goal mark before officially retiring. For many, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is an example of never giving up.
He has won five Ballon d’Or awards, second only to his greatest rival Lionel Messi – who has won football’s highest individual award a record eight times.
Ronaldo reached 901 goals in his career (Photo: Getty).
Speaking earlier this month, Ronaldo insisted he had no plans to retire from international football. The Portuguese great currently holds the record for most international caps and goals for a male player, with 131 goals in 213 games:
“When the time comes, I will stop. It won’t be a difficult decision to make. If I feel like I can’t contribute anymore, I will be the first one to leave. Until the end of my career, I will always keep the mindset that I will be the one to start the game.”