But as an allround footballer When Paul Scholes made interesting comment on Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes had an interesting take on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate some years ago.

Scholes played alongside Ronaldo for six years with the Red Devils but also came up against Messi a few times in the Champions League.

Given his experience with both players, he too fielded the eternal question of who’s the best player of all time among the two and gave a unique take on the subject.

He said (via GiveMeSport):

“Messi [is the best] but Ronaldo is brilliant. Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power. He scores, he takes free-kicks. But as an all-round footballer, Messi – wow, his passing – he has absolutely everything.”

While Scholes appreciated both players, his words suggested he considered Messi to be the best, given his all-round qualities, and it might not have left Ronaldo’s supporters happy.

But in a further affirmation of his views, the former England international even wrote this in an article for The Independent in 2015:

“I think about the great players with whom I have shared a pitch: Eric Cantona, Zinedine Zidane, Pirlo, Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo – and the greatest of them all is Messi.”

Scholes first came up against Messi in the 2008-09 season when Manchester United drew Barcelona in the semifinals of the Champions League.

Although he got the better of the Argentine then, even scoring the only goal of the tie in the second leg to send his team through, Messi came back to haunt him and his team in the years that followed. The then-Barcelona star scored in the La Liga side’s 2-0 win over the Premier League outfit in the 2009 finals, before repeating the trick in another showpiece clash two years later in a 3-1 victory.

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Lionel Messi has the edge over Cristiano Ronaldo with the 2022 FIFA World Cup victory

While the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo discourse will continue long after they have driven into the sunset, the former certainly has the edge now with the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy in the bag.

Messi guided Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar last December to complete his illustrious trophy cabinet, with many since proclaiming him to be the greatest player of all time.

Ronaldo has also achieved a lot in his glorious career spanning two decades, but with the World Cup missing from his trophy room, history could see him a tier below his arch-rival.