Cristiano Ronaldo 'not even close' to Lionel Messi! Inter Miami superstar's GOAT status validated by ex-Atletico Madrid & Chelsea star who stayed in to watch all of his Barcelona games

Portuguese superstar Ronaldo has reiterated, during another interview with Piers Morgan, that he considers himself to be the best. He has previously ranked himself above the likes of Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona. CR7 admits that he has no desire to be “humble” and will always back his own cause.

Many others are happy to side with him, but plenty more see themselves very much in the Messi camp. Luis, who is now coaching in his homeland with Flamengo, is prepared to overlook illustrious countrymen such as Pele when it comes to naming his GOAT.

For him, nobody can compete with Messi when it comes to moments of match-altering magic. That skill set has allowed the mercurial playmaker to win eight Ballons d’Or, the World Cup and a collection of honours that make him the most decorated player in history.

Asked to pick between the brightest stars to ever illuminate a football pitch, Luis told The Obi One podcast: “I played against Messi, he’s number one, for sure. By far, there’s no one even close. He’s the player I most enjoyed watching; I watched every Barcelona game. And you know, every game, every team, every coach who faced Barcelona, their concern was doing something to stop him.

“Like I said, I watched every Barcelona game, even when I was playing for Deportivo La Coruna or Atletico. If Barcelona was playing on Saturday at eight o'clock at night, I couldn't go out to eat; I had to stay and watch the game because Messi was going to be playing. And when I played against him, my only thought was to stop him, to think about how to try and beat him. He's the player who challenged me the most.”

Luis added: “Of all the players I've seen - because I didn't see Pele or Maradona - I didn't feel anything like that with Messi. He's number one, I'm a huge fan of his, and I think he's brought a lot of joy to many people with his style of play.”

While Luis has enjoyed watching Messi down the years, he always tried to make life difficult for the Argentine when lining up against him. That meant putting respect to one side, with the Brazilian making a point of never asking for a post-game shirt swap with his fellow South American.

The former full-back has previously said of trying to get the better of Messi in competitive action: “I always hit him to stop him; he never reproached me. I admire him a lot for his football. I never asked him for his shirt, because I come onto the pitch to win, not to say that I played against him.”

He added, when hammering home his GOAT message: “Everybody knows what I think of him. The only thing you have to do is enjoy him because I don't know how many years or decades will pass before another player like him appears. He should always win the Ballon d'Or.”

Luis is 40 years of age - six months younger than Portuguese superstar Ronaldo - and hung up his boots in 2023. CR7 is still going strong with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, as he chases down 1,000 career goals, while Messi has committed to a new three-year contract with MLS outfit Inter Miami that will keep him in the United States through 2028.

Both all-time greats are expected to grace next summer’s World Cup finals, with Luis set to be among the interested observers as a global audience readies itself for one final battle between iconic career-long adversaries.