Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: When Sunil Chhetri settled the GOAT debate after saying one out of the two is clearly a ‘level up’

The Indian captain gave his verdict on the GOAT debate.

Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: When Sunil Chhetri settled the GOAT debate after saying one out of the two is clearly a ‘level up’

Sunil Chettri chose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Credit:Goal.com)

Indian captain, Sunil Chhetri, one of the highest active goal scorers for their national team, weighed in on the Messi-Ronaldo debate in 2020. Chhetri believes Lionel Messi is clearly a notch above the Portuguese superhuman. He is currently the third-highest active international goalscorer in the world, right after the duo, who are often considered the best to grace the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo stands first with 123 goals while Lionel Messi comes second with 103. The two have been at the pinnacle of the game for the best part of the last two decades. They have reached unprecedented levels of success and are thus credited as the two “GOATs” of the game. Not just the fans, professional footballers across the world have also not shied away from joining camps of the one they believe is better.

YouTube video

Back in 2020, Chhetri was asked to give his choice between the two. This was during the coronavirus pandemic as the player was quarantined at his Bengaluru residence. He said,  “Even before this interview I was stretching and was watching a Messi video. And that really lifts me up. If anyone in the world is sad, just put on Messi video and he’ll be happy,”

FS Video

“I love to follow Cristiano Ronaldo, too. For me, it’s a very good example of how much hard work he puts in. When it’s learning, I follow Ronaldo’s stuff more but I just enjoy watching Messi. The kind of goals he scores, his dribbles, his nutmegs, his understanding of the game, his touches are unbelievable.” When he was asked who is the more rounded of the two, Chhetri said, “If you say that, then I will say Ronaldo. I mean it’s close. The moment you say complete, it’s about height, heading ability, shooting with both feet, coming back to defend corners also – so in that aspect, yes, Ronaldo.” This answer was somewhat expected by him as he is a Manchester United fan.

Related: SAFF Championship 2023 Final India v Kuwait: Live Stream, Where and How to watch

Sunil Chhetri signs Bengaluru FC extension

IMG COM 20230704 1509 13 9861
Sunil Chhetri (Credit: Twitter)

On Monday, Sunil Chhetri signed a new one-year contract with Bengaluru FC, with the possibility of extending for an additional year. This agreement comes just two months prior to his 39th birthday. Following India’s triumph against Lebanon in the SAFF Championship semifinal on Saturday, Chhetri celebrated by displaying a banner at Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Stadium, revealing his decision to continue his journey with the club where he has earned seven titles.

Chhetri explained his decision saying, “I have signed a Bengaluru FC contract a fair few times, and what I can tell you is that it always feels special, even when it probably should not, given it is a formality. I am so happy that I will be spending two more years here,” 

“The fans have been such a vital factor in this decision. Over the years, there have been some generous offers from some very good clubs, but the fact that I couldn’t even think of going anywhere made me realize the influence our fans have had on that decision,” he added.

Related posts: