Former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello has delivered his verdict on the ‘Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT’ debate. The tactician threw his weight behind the Argentine superstar while backing Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or award.
The ‘Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo’ debate is one that will rage on for decades, although the Argentine icon appears to have the upper hand following his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also has the highest number of Ballon d’Or awards (eight), the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year (three), the European Golden Shoe (six), and so on.
The Portuguese icon, on the other hand, has a slight edge in terms of statistics. He is currently the all-time top scorer in the sport, with a staggering 934 goals in 1,277 appearances for club and country.
However, in Fabio Capello’s books, statistics do not matter as much as genius acts and pure quality. For this reason, the former Real Madrid manager feels Cristiano Ronaldo lags behind Lionel Messi and another Argentine legend, late Diego Maradona, in the GOAT debate.
Capello went on to have his say on this year’s Ballon d’Or race, backing Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal to claim the accolade following his impressive performances during the season.
It’s been an incredible season for Lamine Yamal so far. The 17-year-old has bagged 16 goals and 24 assists for Barcelona in 52 games across all competitions. He’s helped the Catalan giants to claim the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, and is on course to add the Liga title to the list, rightfully putting himself in the Ballon d’Or debate.
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t included in the team as Al-Nassr secured an emphatic 9-0 victory over Al Akhdoud in the Saudi Pro League last time out. He is, however, expected to return to the lineup when Stefano Pioli’s men lock horns with Al Taawoun in their next game on Friday (May 16).
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi found himself on the end of a 4-1 defeat despite scoring for Inter Miami in their MLS clash with Minnesota on Saturday (May 10). The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will be keen to help the team bounce back in their next league game versus San Jose tomorrow (May 15).
That said, the two superstars will also have their eyes on representing their respective nations when the World Cup returns next year. It remains to be seen if they can keep themselves in shape to make what would be their final appearance in the prestigious tournament in 2026.
Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi’s brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.
In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.
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