Which footballers have played with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and who do they rate higher? We reviewed 28 shared teammates, checked when they gave their verdicts and counted only statements that establish a footballing preference.
These 28 players have represented some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus and PSG, all of which rank highly in tips.gg's rankings of football teams.
How the Votes Were Counted
A player qualifies after belonging to a club or national-team squad with each star. Their statement must come after both periods of shared-team experience. A vote counts if they choose one as the better footballer or call one the best player in the world or in football history. They do not have to mention the other by name.
Each player gets one vote at most. The entries follow the dates of the selected statements, using the publication date when the interview date is not available. Earlier comments do not add votes. Personal affection, captaincy choices and childhood idols do not count, and an unverified preference is not a draw.
For examples of how players ended up alongside both stars, see our profiles of Hakimi, Larsson, Garay and Heinze.
The 17 Counted Votes, in Chronological Order
1. Deco
Messi: Barcelona; Ronaldo: Portugal. In 2012, Deco said Messi was “the best player in the world” and Cristiano was “nearly as good,” as quoted by Planet Football. Vote: Messi.
2. Carlos Tevez
Messi: Argentina; Ronaldo: Manchester United. On 20 November 2012, Tevez said he would “always side with Messi” in the best-player debate, according to AS. In a 2020 La Nación interview, he declined to choose again. Vote: Messi.
3. Henrik Larsson
Messi: Barcelona; Ronaldo: Manchester United. In 2013, Larsson said: “Ronaldo is a very good player, but Messi is even better,” as quoted by Planet Football. Vote: Messi.
4. Gonzalo Higuaín
Messi: Argentina; Ronaldo: Real Madrid and Juventus. In a Sky Sport interview on 8 January 2017, reported by Mundo Deportivo the next day, Higuaín said: “There are many good strikers, but the best in history is Messi, my friend” (translated). Ronaldo was still at Real Madrid; the two reunited at Juventus in 2018. Vote: Messi.
5. Fernando Gago
Messi: Argentina; Ronaldo: Real Madrid. In an interview published by La Nación on 17 June 2020, Gago called Messi “a step above everyone” and “the best footballer in the world.” He had already preferred Messi in July 2011 while at Real Madrid, as reported by Infobae. Vote: Messi.
6. Paulo Dybala
Messi: Argentina; Ronaldo: Juventus. In an Instagram post on 19 December 2022, Dybala celebrated winning the World Cup “alongside the best in the world,” pictured with Messi, as reproduced by Marca Informativa. In July 2023, he also called Messi the GOAT on Threads, reported by Somos Invictos. Vote: Messi.
7. Sergio Ramos
Messi: Paris Saint-Germain; Ronaldo: Real Madrid. In a February 2023 interview at PSG, Ramos called Messi “the best player football has ever produced,” as reported by Goal. Vote: Messi.
8. Arthur Melo
Messi: Barcelona; Ronaldo: Juventus. Asked by Mundo Deportivo on 4 July 2023 to name the greatest player in history, Arthur answered: “Leo Messi.” Vote: Messi.
9. Pablo Sarabia
Messi: Paris Saint-Germain; Ronaldo: Real Madrid. Goal reported that in a December 2023 talkSPORT interview, Sarabia chose Cristiano when asked to rank his former star teammates: “It's Cristiano because his mindset is totally incredible.” Vote: Ronaldo (as reported by Goal).
10. Danilo Pereira
Messi: Paris Saint-Germain; Ronaldo: Portugal. After Portugal beat Ireland on 11 June 2024, Danilo called Ronaldo “the best player in the world,” as recorded by Record. Vote: Ronaldo.
11. Lisandro Martínez
Messi: Argentina; Ronaldo: Manchester United. Asked in October 2024 to name the best footballer he had played with, Martínez chose Messi: “He's the best player in the history of football,” as reported by Stretty News. Vote: Messi.
12. Achraf Hakimi
Messi: Paris Saint-Germain; Ronaldo: Real Madrid. In an April 2025 football questionnaire, Hakimi chose Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player of all time, as reported by As Quinas. Vote: Ronaldo.
13. Ezequiel Garay
Messi: Argentina; Ronaldo: Real Madrid. In a February 2026 DAZN interview, Garay ranked Messi first and Ronaldo second among his former teammates, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. Vote: Messi.
14. Gerard Piqué
Messi: Barcelona; Ronaldo: Manchester United. In an interview published on 30 March 2026, Piqué said: “Messi I think is a little bit over Cristiano,” as quoted by Sports Illustrated. Vote: Messi.
15. Ángel Di María
Messi: Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain; Ronaldo: Real Madrid. In a June 2026 Ballon d'Or interview, Di María said: “For me, Leo is better than Cristiano because he has a natural talent.” He had already called Messi the best in June 2014 while at Real Madrid, reported by Real Total. Vote: Messi.
16. Casemiro
Messi: Inter Miami; Ronaldo: Real Madrid and Manchester United. On 12 August 2026, after playing alongside Messi in Miami, Casemiro called him “one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest,” adding that he “keeps showing he is the best,” as reported by Fox Sports Mexico. Vote: Messi.
17. Miralem Pjanić
Messi: Barcelona; Ronaldo: Juventus. At the Festival dello Sport in Trento on 3 October 2026, Pjanić was asked to choose between the pair and answered “Leo,” as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Vote: Messi.
Final Score: Messi 14, Ronaldo 3
Of 28 players reviewed, 17 gave a qualifying verdict: 14 chose Messi and three chose Ronaldo. The other 11 have no verified statement satisfying both the timing and footballing-preference rules.
A Stricter Count: Only Former Teammates at the Time
We also checked the statements made after the speaker had stopped being a teammate of both stars at club and international level. Eleven selected verdicts fit this stricter test: Messi 9, Ronaldo 2.
Messi (9): Di María, Piqué, Tevez, Gago, Garay, Deco, Larsson, Pjanić and Arthur. Ronaldo (2): Hakimi and Sarabia. These are counted within, not in addition to, the overall 14–3 result.
Six votes are excluded only from the stricter subset because the speaker still played with at least one star: Higuaín and Dybala (Argentina with Messi), Ramos (PSG with Messi), Lisandro Martínez (Argentina with Messi), Casemiro (Inter Miami with Messi) and Danilo Pereira (Portugal with Ronaldo). All six remain valid in the overall tally.
When Ronaldo's Club Teammates Preferred Messi
Two Real Madrid players backed Messi while still teammates of Ronaldo: Fernando Gago in July 2011 and Ángel Di María in June 2014. Both had already played with Messi for Argentina. Higuaín called Messi the greatest in January 2017, when Ronaldo was still at Real Madrid. La Nación repeated that quote in June 2020, while Higuaín and Ronaldo were Juventus teammates; it was not a new 2020 verdict.
The 11 Players Whose Votes Were Not Counted
Keylor Navas: Chose a Former Teammate, Not the Better Player
Navas played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Messi at PSG. In an October 2025 interview with David Faitelson, reported by FeatSport, he chose Cristiano when asked “Cristiano or Messi?” but explained his answer through their shared experiences rather than footballing superiority. It is not counted as a vote on who was better.
Alejandro Garnacho: His GOAT Statement Came Too Early
Garnacho called Ronaldo the GOAT in April 2022, before playing senior football with Messi for Argentina. Asked again in January 2024, he declined to choose between them, according to TyC Sports.
Gabriel Heinze: A Reported Choice He Denied
Heinze denied the supposed Ronaldo endorsement in a June 2020 La Nación interview and declined to rank the two.
Other Players Who Did Not Pick a Winner
André Gomes refused to choose, according to FourFourTwo; Francisco Trincão said comparison was impossible, reported by Goal; Vitinha praised both, reported by RTP; and Nuno Mendes admired both without ranking them, reported by Tribuna.
No Verifiable Qualifying Verdict Found
Nélson Semedo, Renato Sanches, Martín Cáceres and Gonzalo “Pity” Martínez have no qualifying public choice established by the sources reviewed. They are uncounted, not recorded as voting for a tie.
What the Results Show
Messi leads 14–3 among 17 qualifying verdicts. Among 11 selected statements made after all shared-team spells had ended, the score is 9–2. Gago and Di María also put Messi first while they were still Ronaldo's club teammates.