Why Giannis Antetokounmpo is more Cristiano Ronaldo than Lionel Messi as NBA superstar enters the GOAT debate

Giannis is, having grown up in Greece, an avid football fan. He follows the game closely, while boasting professional ties to a couple of clubs, and looks to take inspiration from those that have reached the very top of professions that are different to the one that has made him a household name.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football scene for more than two decades, with both still going strong in 2026. The former has signed a contract extension at MLS Cup winners Inter Miami through 2028, while the latter is generating transfer talk at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

It has been suggested that CR7 could head to the United States, allowing him to either line up alongside or against eternal rival Messi. Giannis is among those that would love to see a stunning transfer thrashed out.

For now, he is watching on from afar as a couple of all-time greats raise the bar of individual brilliance to heights that few can ever dream of reaching. Giannis considers Messi to be the ultimate footballing talent, but sees more of himself in Ronaldo - with the evergreen 41-year-old having built his reputation on hard work and dedication to his craft.

Speaking at the NBA All-Star Game’s Media Day, Giannis said when asked for his take on the Messi vs Ronaldo discussion that divides opinion around the world: “I think Messi is a pure talent. Pure talent, and with hard work and discipline throughout his career and consistency of being in the top. He is probably, maybe, the best player of all time.

“But for me, I relate and I get closer to people that I'm similar to them, like hard work, discipline, take care of your body, be consistent for many years. He's 41 years old now, right? 41 years old, still playing high level, so my mindset is closer to Cristiano Ronaldo’s mindset.

“Different people, he's more flashy than me and I'm not like that. But when it comes to the game, the love and the consistency and the hard work and the, you know, push the envelope and keep on getting better, I'm more similar to Ronaldo.

“So when you ask me that question, I say Ronaldo but now if you put them, who has accomplished more in their career; eight Ballons d'Or, five Ballons d'Or, World Cup, not the World Cup, five Champions League, four Champions League, it's what you prefer.

“The most important thing, once you get to that point that you say Messi or Ronaldo, you already won. I wish to get to a point where they say [Michael] Jordan or Giannis, I already won in life.”

Giannis has previously said of those that excel with a ball at their feet, rather than in hand: “You have unbelievable players. Luis Figo, Nani, and Deco, who were growing up, were one of my favourite players. But at the end you gotta go with the GOAT, the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo. Any sport he'd play, he'd probably be good at it.”

Giannis is a part-owner of Nashville SC in MLS. That stake means that he has come up against Messi. Back in 2023, following the Argentine’s stunning move to America, Antetokounmpo attended a game with Inter Miami.

He further pledged his allegiance to Ronaldo by hitting the iconic ‘Siuuu’ celebration when taking to the field and entertaining those in the crowd. Since then, Giannis has invested in Chelsea’s women’s team - with the Blues having excelled in WSL competition across recent campaigns.

Whether Giannis is joined in the States by Ronaldo on a long-term basis remains to be seen, as CR7 has returned to action in the Middle East, but he will be on American soil this summer when captaining Portugal at the sixth World Cup finals of his record-shattering career.