Thomas Muller has once again taken sides in one of the most repeated football debates of this century: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
But after losing to Argentina captain and Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final, the Vancouver Whitecaps forward’s opinion got people talking. Who did he choose?
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Muller will choose between Leo and CR7 without hesitation.
In an interview with ESPN that went viral on social media, Thomas was asked which of the two soccer legends he prefers.
“That’s a good old question,” he said with a laugh. “Both of them. Both of them are performing. They are still putting up numbers,” the former Bayern Munich player began.
But then he chose the captaincy of the Argentina national team. “Messi is more impressive to me because his style of play is a little more magical, more pure talent,” Muller said.
“Ronaldo’s work ethic is outstanding, probably better than Messi’s, but to see Messi play our game… it’s not incredible, because I know his abilities week in and week out. So for me it’s not incredible, but it’s very impressive,” he added.
This is not the first time the German striker has defined which of the two players is better for him, but he confessed that his opinion has changed over the years. A few weeks ago, upon his arrival in MLS, he gave an interview on the competition’s official website and confessed that in his first 10 years as a professional footballer, he was ranked 7th in CR, ahead of Leo, thanks to his greed, discipline and ability to maintain performance.
But as time went on, he said his appreciation for the sport changed and other aspects became more important to him. “Now that I’m a little older, I’m a little more romantic. I like style more than pure efficiency, and Messi was always unique in that respect. After winning the World Cup with Argentina, there’s no argument anymore. He’s the best player we’ve ever met in this sport,” he said.
These words were not taken lightly, as he is one of Leo’s biggest tormentors. The two sides have met 10 times, with Muller having seven wins and three losses (two international friendlies in 2010 and 2012, and the Champions League semi-final against Barça).
But Leo’s defeat was more painful. These included Bayern’s 8-2 victory over Barcelona and their 1-0 victory in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil. Prior to that, he had just played for Germany and Argentina in a 4-0 win at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Messi was able to end that winning streak on Saturday, December 6, when Inter Miami defeated the Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium to become the first-ever MLS champion.
