Former AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has weighed in on the long-standing debate over who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) between Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi. Since the two football icons established their legendary rivalry over the past decade, fans and players alike have been divided on who is superior. Pioli, who recently took over as manager of Al Nassr, where Ronaldo plays, sided with the Portuguese star. He justified his choice by pointing out that Ronaldo has scored more goals than Messi.
"I believe Cristiano Ronaldo is superior to Lionel Messi; he has scored more goals than games," Pioli stated, as reported by Geo News. Recently, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner made history by becoming the first men's football player to reach 900 career goals. This monumental achievement came during Portugal's UEFA Nations League match against Croatia. Ronaldo cemented his place in history when he scored against Croatia in the 34th minute, thanks to a perfect cross from Nuno Mendes. His goal not only broke records but also helped Portugal secure a 2-0 victory.
In total, Ronaldo has scored 901 goals in 1,238 appearances for both club and country. The 39-year-old forward continues to break records both on and off the field. Notably, he recently reached the milestone of 1 billion social media followers across all platforms. Ronaldo boasts 638 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook, and 113 million on X. Additionally, he recently launched his YouTube channel and set a record for the fastest 10 million subscribers, achieving this feat in just one day, surpassing the previous record holder, Hamster Kombat, who took seven days to reach the same milestone.
Meanwhile, Messi has scored 840 goals in 1,071 appearances for club and country. The Argentine star was sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained in the Copa America final in July. However, he made a triumphant return to the field last week, scoring a brace in Inter Miami's 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union in the MLS.
