The age-old debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has a new high-profile voice weighing in, none other than Prince William. The future king of the United Kingdom made his stance clear during a visit to Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training complex on Tuesday.
Prince William, a well-known football enthusiast and avid Aston Villa supporter, was taking part in a quickfire Q&A session with The Sun as part of the ‘Football Legends – Head 2 Head’ game. The challenge required him to make tough choices between some of football’s biggest icons.
Prince William picks between Messi and Ronaldo
When asked to choose a player for a crucial penalty shootout between Zinedine Zidane and his friend David Beckham, former England striker and the co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami, the Prince hesitated before settling on Beckham. “This is going to hurt. Becks, I think, just,” he admitted.
However, when the decision came down to Brazilian legend Ronaldo versus Beckham, he quickly sided with the Brazilian striker, widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards in history. Then came the ultimate showdown, Messi vs. Ronaldo. After a moment’s thought, Prince William chose Argentine great Lionel Messi.
“Gotta be Messi, just,” he said, citing the Argentine legend’s key role in leading his country to FIFA World Cup glory in 2022.
Prince William’s visit came just a day before Aston Villa secured a historic win over Club Brugge to advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
What’s up with Messi and Ronaldo?
Messi last featured in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 match between Cavalier and Inter Miami. The 37-year-old scored in stoppage time to help the MLS club progress to the next round 4-0 on aggregate. Inter Miami will take on Los Angeles FC for a spot in the semifinals on 3 April.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, scored an early goal during a match against Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Friday. His team Al-Nassr won the match 3-1 and secured three crucial points to move to the third spot in the points table. Ronaldo will next be seen in action during a game against Al-Hilal on 4 April.