Arsenal star Declan Rice once weighed in on the never-ending GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The midfielder hailed the Argentine legend as the best ever and rated him above his Portuguese archrival.
Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football space for the past two decades, leaving fans divided over who is the best of all time. Many adore the Inter Miami ace for his sheer brilliance on the pitch, while others admire the Al-Nassr superstar for his hard work, dedication, and zeal to be the best.
Rice, however, on multiple occasions, has made clear his stance when it comes to the GOAT debate, repeatedly opting for Messi. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, the Arsenal midfielder wrote (via Bolavip):
During an interview on The Overlap with Gary Neville that same year, the 26-year-old also spoke about his admiration for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Rice admitted that he prefers Messi because of what he does with the ball at his feet. He said:
(Watch from 9:47)
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the twilight of their careers, but still going strong for their respective teams. Declan Rice, meanwhile, has been instrumental for the Gunners this season, contributing eight goals and 10 assists in 49 matches across competitions.
He will look to help Arsenal overcome Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League semifinal second leg on Wednesday (April 7) and secure a spot in the final. The north London club trail 1-0 from the first leg.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been instrumental for their respective clubs in the ongoing campaign. Messi, who has struggled with fitness in the 2025 season, has posted nine goals and three assists in 14 games for Inter Miami.
He guided the Herons to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they were eliminated 5-1 on aggregate by the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Florida-based club are fourth in the Eastern Conference of the MLS with 21 points from 10 matches.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has been firing on all cylinders in the 2024-25 season. The legendary forward has contributed 33 goals and four assists in 38 matches across competitions. However, his Al-Nassr side are at risk of another trophyless campaign.
They lost 3-2 to Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League semifinal and trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by eight points with five games to go.
A Chelsea fan, Okenna had his first tryst with Blues in 2006, after fellow countryman John Mikel Obi joined the west London club. He was immediately drawn to the brilliance of players like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Didier Drogba.
Okenna is a huge fan of Lionel Messi for his exceptional talent. He also admires Jose Mourinho for his achievements with various clubs which proves he’s a tactical and disciplined manger as well as a serial winner.
Some of Okenna’s prospective career landmarks include working as an international journalist and covering a FIFA World Cup game live from the stadium. When not writing, he loves watching, movies and reading books.
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