Real Madrid legend Raul recognised himself as a great admirer of former Barcelona star Lionel Messi. Raul made the revelation when he was asked to name the greatest of all time (GOAT). Some football fans feel Cristiano Ronaldo claims the stature for his decorated career in European club football. Meanwhile, according to many people, Messi edged ahead of the Portuguese superstar in the GOAT debate after leading Argentina to the World Cup triumph in December 2022. Raul was asked to share his view on the topic during an interaction with Sports Illustrated.
The former Spanish forward had shared the pitch with Ronaldo at Real Madrid for one season during the 2009-10 campaign. Ronaldo had shifted his base to the Spanish capital that year after ending a long spell with Manchester United.
The Al Nassr captain left Real Madrid in 2018 as their all-time leading scorer with 450 goals. Raul remains the third-highest scorer of the club, having netted 323 goals in 741 games. Karim Benzema is second on the list with 354 strikes.
Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul had played alongside Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo Nazario during his time at Real Madrid. The 47-year-old, however, keeps Messi ahead of any of his former teammates when it comes to talent and skills.
“I was lucky enough to play with Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo and Cristiano but Messi is different. He makes everything look so easy, so effortless – even the impossible,” Raul told Sports Illustrated, as quoted by the Sport Bible.
“When you watch him (Messi) play, it’s almost as though you are watching him in the street playing with his friends. From the time when I started, the best players around then were Roberto Baggio and Ryan Giggs,” the Spanish legend added.
An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi seems to have already reached the twilight phase of his career. The Argentine forward recently secured the 46th trophy of his career when Inter Miami won the MLS Supporter’s Shield with record points. He also won the Leagues Cup with the Herons shortly after joining the team in July last year.
Messi was last seen in action in the MLS game against New England. He scored a hat-trick in the home game to inspire a 6-2 win. Messi now aims to help Inter Miami win the MLS Cup this season.
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