November 19, (THEWILL) – Wayne Rooney has explained why he believes Lionel Messi is superior to Cristiano Ronaldo, a former teammate of his at Manchester United.
In the past week, there has been back-and-forth in the media between Rooney and Ronaldo after the latter reacted angrily to the former’s criticisms of his footballing abilities by asserting that he is better looking and that their friendship was over.
Rooney has stayed kind throughout the situation despite Ronaldo’s petulant outbursts, understanding the Portuguese player’s reluctance to accept where he is at this stage of his playing career. Rooney agreed that becoming the next World Cup champion would do wonders for either Messi or Ronaldo’s career but the former Barcelona star will be remembered as the superior player in his eyes.
The 37-year-old said: “It would be a great story for football if either Messi or Ronaldo won the World Cup. I have heard some of the Argentine players saying that they want to win it for Messi. That’s crazy – and might only increase the pressure on them.
“Everyone has different views on Messi and Ronaldo but I have said many times that I think Messi is the best. I have watched lots of videos of Diego Maradona, who was a similar player, but Messi is better. He has everything – the way he controls games, his dribbling, his assists – whereas Ronaldo is more of a goalscorer.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
