Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez gave a clear response when asked to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by YouTuber IShowSpeed in 2023. The Argentine goalkeeper has been a godsend for the national team, transforming them into one of the best in the world in recent years.
Martinez helped La Albiceleste win the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America. The Aston Villa man had a quick conversation with self-professed Cristiano Ronaldo fan IShowSpeed ahead of the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
When the YouTuber asked the Argentine to choose between the Portuguese and La Pulga, Martinez reiterated his allegiance to his countryman.
IShowSpeed accepted his answer without protesting, before moving on to other questions. However, the YouTuber did try a cheeky dig at the end of the conversation, stating that he is ‘Ronaldo for life, man.’
Martinez replied immediately, stating:
The 32-year-old’s response is not too unexpected, given he once said that he was willing to give his life for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Lionel Messi has found tremendous success with his national team in recent times after decades of frustration.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has also been quite successful with Portugal in his career. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner won the 2016 Euros and the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the record goalscorer in men’s international football, with 136 goals and 37 assists from 219 games for Portugal to date. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is second on that list, having scored 112 goals and set up 58 more from 191 games for Argentina.
CR7 has registered eight goals and two assists from 22 games at the FIFA World Cup. La Pulga has, on the other hand, has 13 goals and eight assists from 26 games at the tournament.
The Argentine has reached the final of the greatest sporting spectacle on earth on two occasions, winning once. Ronaldo’s best finish at the World Cup was in 2006, when his team reached the semifinals. Both players are expected to feature at next year’s mega event across the Atlantic, which is likely to be their swansong.
Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer’s Wikipedia page.
Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina’s glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.
Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.
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