“The f***ing greatest” – When Dimitar Berbatov picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi (left), Cristiano Ronaldo (middle), and Dimitar Berbatov (right) (image via Getty)

Former Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov once chose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair have dominated the world of football for over two decades and are widely considered the greatest players to ever play the game.

Messi and Ronaldo started one of football’s greatest rivalries while playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. The two also established an unparalleled duopoly over the Ballon d’Or – football’s greatest individual award – for an entire decade (between 2008 and 2017).

Despite playing alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, Berbatov chose Messi over the Portuguese. According to the Bulgarian forward, no footballer is better than the Argentine, not even his former teammate.

In a 2018 interview with ESPN FC (via BESOCCER), Berbatov said:

“Messi is the f***ing greatest. Ronaldo is brilliant, Messi, more my kind of player. He sees the game so clearly. He can score, create, he’s the complete player, the best ever probably.”

“If you ask someone older than me they will say Pele, Maradona or Puskas or Di Stefano. But for my generation it’s Messi or Ronaldo. They’re pretty much even, but something with Messi makes me shout ‘Messi! Messi!’ when I watch Barcelona on television,” continued the former Manchester United forward.

However, he lauded Ronaldo’s work ethic, explaining how the Portuguese set an example for youngsters.

“Young players try and imitate the best players like Ronaldo. They try to imitate the hair, the clothes, the cars, the tricks. I try to tell them how hard Cristiano Ronaldo trained in training and after training. He only wanted to be the best. Everything else came after.”

Ronaldo played alongside Berbatov in the Manchester United attack during his first stint at Old Trafford. In 39 games, three goals by Ronaldo were assisted by Berbatov while the Portuguese returned the favor twice.

Berbatov, meanwhile, faced Messi just once in his career – in the UEFA Champions League 2008-09 final. Barcelona won the match 2-0 to become European Champions.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo not shortlisted for Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2003

FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala 2015 – Source: Getty

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not shortlisted for the 2024 Ballon d’Or for the first time in two decades, leaving fans in shock. The duo have 13 Ballons d’Or combined (five for Ronaldo and eight for Messi) – the most by any two players in history.

Last season, Messi helped Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup – their first-ever silverware. He was also the captain of the Argentina side that lifted the 2024 Copa America. Meanwhile, Ronaldo recorded a staggering 44 goals and 13 assists in 45 games across competitions for Al-Nassr.

Fans speculated that their omission was because the two don’t play football in Europe anymore. Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, while Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United to join Al-Nassr earlier in the same year.