Greenwood joins Messi and Ronaldo GOAT debate
Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? It’s one of the unavoidable football questions of our era, and Manchester United prodigy Mason Greenwood is the latest notable voice to join the never-ending worldwide debate.
The pair have been fighting for individual supremacy for over 10 years, ever since Ronaldo left Manchester United to join Real Madrid and La Liga in 2009.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have plundered hundreds of goals in Spain and across their international careers, and the pair have failed to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or prize just once (2018) since Kaka was triumphant in 2007.
As someone born in 2001, Greenwood would be hard pressed to imagine the football landscape without either of them. But when asked which of the legends he prefers during an exclusive fans' Q&A session, Mason admitted he thought there was a clear winner.
“For me, it’s always got to be Messi,” said the Bradford-born youngster. “For me, he’s just on another planet.
“Ronaldo is obviously amazing, a physical, great athletic footballer. But to do what Messi does at his size, what he’s done for Barcelona and winning that trophy for Argentina, he is just on another level.”
The latter part of Greenwood’s answer referred to Argentina’s triumph in this summer’s Copa America.
One of the areas in which Ronaldo was perceived to have the edge over Messi was in international football, after the Portuguese helped his country win Euro 2016.
But, at the age of 34, Messi was the Player of the Tournament as Argentina won their first international prize since 1993.
Greenwood’s South American influences don’t stop at Messi, either. Asked later about his favourite football trick as a youngster, the 19-year-old referenced Cristiano’s Brazilian namesake, Ronaldo.
“My favourite skill move was the stepover and I still use it to this day,” replied Greenwood, to a question from Irish supporter Fred H.
“It’s my favourite skill move. I used to watch the Brazilian Ronaldo, as he would always pull one out on the goalkeepers and defenders. I used to practice at the parks and stuff and used to do it in training sessions, then that would lead on to games. And, now, it’s just stuck with me, it’s a little skill move that I practice.”
Keep your eyes on ManUtd.com and our Official App, where we’ll be running Greenwood’s fans’ Q&A in full later today.
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