MESSI VS RONALDO : HOW HAVE OTHER FOOTBALL ICONS VIEWED THE BIGGEST DEBATE?

It's unusual to think there was a time where football was not engrossed in the never-ending debate that is: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

The pair have scaled insurmountable heights in their pursuit of greatness and between them have swept virtually all of football's top individual and club prizes over the course of the past decade or so.

The statistics alone do little to separate the duo, but this week Brazilian legend Pele weighed in on the debate, declaring that he would rather have the Portuguese supremo in his team.

'Today the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo,' he told YouTube channel Pilhado.

'I think he's the best, because he's more consistent, but you can't forget about [Lionel] Messi, of course, but he's not a striker.'

Praise from a player of Pele's ilk goes a long way in strengthening Ronaldo's case. But who have other legends past and present favoured in the Messi-Ronaldo debate? Sportsmail did some digging to find out...

Diego Maradona

One former player's opinion which can be held to the same level as that of Pele is Diego Maradona. Prior to the Messi-Ronaldo debate, the South American rivals were by far and away the best talents to ever grace the game.

Having coached his countryman with the national team it should hardly be a surprise who Maradona is backing here.

'I can't remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly,' he said. 'I prefer Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo but I acknowledge that the latter is an animal. Football history will remember Messi. Football has given him a lot, as much as he has given the sport and to win a World Cup, in my opinion, wouldn't bring himself anything else.'

Verdict: Messi

Paul Scholes

On talent alone, Paul Scholes is up there with the greatest England has produced, and as such is best placed to weigh up the better of the two phenomenons.

Despite having seen Ronaldo grow from a dazzling trickster to the unstoppable force he is today while at Manchester United, Scholes puts loyalty to one side and makes a surprising selection.

'Messi [is the best] but Ronaldo is brilliant,' he said. 'Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power.

'He scores, he takes free-kicks. But as an all-round footballer, Messi - wow, his passing - he has absolutely everything.'

Verdict: Messi

David Beckham

Messi and Ronaldo's respective astronomical fame mirrors that of David Beckham, who dominated the front and back pages of the papers during his illustrious playing career.

The former England captain trod the path that Ronaldo soon followed in moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid. However, when asked to choose between the two stars, Becks opts for the small Argentine.

'They have similarities in their technical skills and talent, and it is amazing for football to have them both present, but Messi is simply the best player in the world,' he said in 2013.

'He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him. He, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest.'

Verdict: Messi

Roberto Carlos

Brazil legend Roberto Carlos knows all too well what a football superstar looks like, having spent his 24-year career surrounded by some of the very best players, including the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario and Romario.

The decorated full back has opted for his fellow Madrid alumni, explaining that Ronaldo's work rate sets him apart from Messi.

'I watch him [Cristiano] train every day and the way he works is exciting,' he said. 'He wants to improve every day. That's the difference with Messi.

'Leo is a phenomenon, but that side of Cristiano, of training, professionalism, focus, motivation, success... Cristiano has an advantage over all the others.'

Verdict: Ronaldo

Sir Alex Ferguson

During his 27-year tenure at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson nurtured some of the best footballers to grace English football and beyond.

The Scot's role in the development of Cristiano Ronaldo was crucial in laying the foundations for the goalscoring machine we see today. Unsurprisingly, the managerial great backs his former student.

'Now don't get me wrong, Messi is a fantastic player, it's like he's wearing slippers when he controls the ball,' Ferguson admitted. 'But here, for me, is the difference. Messi is a Barcelona player.

'But Ronaldo could play for Stockport County and score a hat-trick. He just wanted to be the best in the world.'

Verdict: Ronaldo

Marco van Basten

Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers to lace a pair of boots, Marco van Basten's opinion on who is the best out of Messi and Ronaldo is the strongest yet.

Last month, the three-time Ballon d'Or winner blasted those who believe Ronaldo is the better of the pair, questioning their football knowledge.

'Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi know nothing about football, or they are saying it in bad faith,' he said. 'Messi is one of a kind. Impossible to imitate and impossible to repeat. A player like him comes along every 50 or 100 years.'

Verdict: Messi

Zinedine Zidane

It's easy to forget that Zinedine Zidane arguably defined a generation of footballers before hanging up his boots in 2006. The Frenchman has since made a seamless transition into management, lifting the Champions League three times successively with Los Blancos.

Without the contributions of Cristiano Ronaldo, though, a strong argument could be made that Zidane would not have gone on to achieve that unprecedented success. It should come as no surprise who Zizou backs here.

He said: 'Cristiano is the best. Messi is his rival and it's the rivalry everyone wants to see. But Ronaldo is phenomenal. There are no words to describe him. He is much better than me even though I had a great career. He's the greatest of all time.'

Verdict: Ronaldo

Kylian Mbappe

The only footballer on this list who has plenty of years ahead of him to write his own history is Kylian Mbappe. The 20-year-old has set the football world alight since bursting onto the scene with Monaco in 2016, and already has a World Cup triumph to his name.

Widely regarded as the heir apparent once Messi and Ronaldo finally call time on their careers, it would be remiss not to include the young Frenchman's view on the all-important debate.

'From one year to the next, my choice changes between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, even if I have to admit to picking Ronaldo more often. I loved him when I was younger,' he revealed.

Verdict: Ronaldo

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 21-year career has seen the Swedish star brush shoulders with some of the greatest players of the past two decades.

The 6ft 5in striker famously fell out of favour at Barcelona, adding himself to a lengthy list of players who failed to co-exist with Messi at the Catalan club. That chastening experience hasn't swayed Ibra's opinion on who comes out on top in the Messi-Ronaldo debate, though.

'I think Messi is one of a kind. What he's doing, I don't know if we will see another player do the things that he does,' he said.

'It is different [with Ronaldo] because he is the result of hard training. It is not natural.'

Verdict: Messi

Fabio Capello

Despite his overwhelmingly disappointing stint with the England national team, Fabio Capello has enjoyed a remarkable career that has seen the Italian work with the great and the good of the game.

The 73-year-old has not worked with either Messi nor Ronaldo, but the former Real Madrid boss detailed in 2019 that there are only three geniuses to grace the game, and Ronaldo is not one of them.

'Ronaldo's an extraordinary footballer, but Messi is a genius.

'There are three geniuses in football: Pele, Maradona and Messi. Period. Ronaldo is very strong as he helps you win everything, but Messi is a genius and the better player.'

Verdict: Messi

Ronaldinho

The role of Ronaldinho in easing Lionel Messi into the Barcelona first team in those formative days of the Argentine's career cannot go unnoticed.

A world star in his own right, it seemed inconceivable that Messi would elevate his performances beyond the level of the dazzling Brazilian. Since inheriting Ronaldinho's No 10 shirt, Messi has taken his game to another level. For Ronaldinho, the question of who is better comes down to taste.

'Messi. I would have loved to continue playing alongside him. I didn't get enough time with him, he was very young. I'd love to take to the pitch with him one more time,' he revealed.

'He's the best in history, no doubt. Nobody has done what Messi's done. The other one [Ronaldo] is complete, he has it all. So does Messi, but it's a question of taste and I prefer Messi's style.'

Verdict: Messi

Diego Simeone

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is in a unique position when it comes to this debate. The fiery Argentine has had to formulate plans to stop Messi and Ronaldo from wreaking havoc on his ambitious side for the best part of a decade.

Simeone offered an interesting view on who comes out on top. The 49-year-old backed his fellow countryman, but admitted Ronaldo is more adaptable to playing with lesser quality players.

'If I had to choose between Messi and Ronaldo then most likely I would choose Messi,' Simeone said.

'If you have the chance to sign one of them for a normal club, with normal players, Ronaldo would probably fit in better.

'But with Messi, surrounded by great players, Messi is better than Ronaldo.'

Verdict: Messi

Ronaldo Nazario

Messi and Ronaldo's respective status as global marketing stars follows the path previously trodden by Ronaldo Nazario. El Fenomeno broke the ceiling in terms of combining on-field success with bold commercial moves.

His popularity was perhaps the turning point in the transition of footballers becoming followed as vehemently as football clubs. Having played for both Barca and Madrid, the Brazilian sides with the Argentine in this debate.

'He (Messi) is out of this world. Cristiano, too, but I see Leo as more complete,' Ronaldo revealed.

'He's great. I like him much more than any other player. Everything he does is spectacular.'

Verdict: Messi

Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool's Champions League triumph in 2019 was made all the more impressive in that it broke the mould of a team winning club football's top prize without the help of either Messi or Ronaldo.

Jurgen Klopp has earned a reputation of being one of world football's top coaches without having a talent of Messi or Ronaldo's level at his disposal, but when asked which of the two he prefers, there was one resounding answer.

'I have only one selfie on my smartphone,' he said. 'That's with Messi. Cristiano was in the room as well...'

Verdict: Messi