Real Madrid legend Angel Di Maria has weighed in on the long-standing debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time (GOAT), choosing Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccernet.football reports.

Di Maria pointed to Messi’s Ballon d’Or wins as the deciding factor.

The GOAT debate between Messi and Ronaldo has been a hot topic for over a decade. Both players have won numerous titles with their respective clubs and have legions of devoted fans.

Recently, Messi added another accolade to his collection as Argentina triumphed over Colombia in the Copa America 2024 final. Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal in extra time.

With this win, Messi secured his second consecutive Copa America title. This achievement has led fans to compare Argentina’s current team to Spain’s 2008-2012 squad, which won two European Championships and a World Cup.

Argentina previously won the World Cup in 2022 by defeating Kylian Mbappe’s France in the final. Many now believe they have a strong chance to defend their title in 2026.

In contrast to Messi’s success, Ronaldo and Portugal were eliminated by France in the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals and did not perform well at the World Cup in Qatar.

Following Argentina’s victory and Portugal’s failure, the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate has been reignited.

Speaking after Argentina’s Copa America win, Di Maria, who played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, said as per HindustanTimes:

“In the end, the best is the one who has more Ballons d’Or, and Messi has eight. For me, therefore there is some distance between him and Cristiano.”

After Portugal’s loss to France, Ronaldo was seen consoling his teammate Pepe, who retired after the match. Neither Ronaldo nor Messi has announced their retirement.

Messi, however, has become the most decorated player in football history, with 45 club honours, surpassing former Barcelona defender Dani Alves.

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