Jack Grealish had difficulty deciding between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The most debated and sometimes tiresome topic among football fans for the past 15 years has been the comparison of Messi and Ronaldo as players.
During this period, they both dominated the sport, primarily representing Barcelona and Real Madrid as rivals, amassing a total of 79 trophies and 12 Ballon d’Or awards together.
While participating in a ‘this or that’ challenge on TikTok, Manchester City winger Grealish shared his opinion on who the superior player is.
Clad in his Manchester City uniform, Grealish encountered various questions, expressing preferences for night games over early kick-offs, favoring long-sleeve shirts over short sleeves, and prioritizing assists to teammates over scoring goals himself.
However, the 28-year-old was then confronted with one of football’s most contentious questions: Ronaldo or Messi?
Grealish was visibly torn, clasping his hands and screwing up his face while mulling over the decision. But after much deliberation, the England international opted for Messi over Ronaldo, arguably the safer answer given the latter is a Manchester United legend.
The debate between Ronaldo and Messi remains as heated between fans over social media, despite both players being in the twilight of their careers and no longer playing in Europe.
However, Ronaldo believes the feud between the pair is no longer present.
In a recent press conference Ronaldo said: “I don’t see things like that, the rivalry is gone.
“It was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don’t have to hate Messi and vice versa. We’ve done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that’s the most important thing.
“He’s followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe.
“From what I’ve seen, he’s been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don’t see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I’m not saying we’re friends, I’ve never had dinner with him, but we’re professional colleagues and we respect each other.”