The debate over who is the greatest soccer player of all time, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a> or Cristiano Ronaldo, has raged for nearly two decades. Now, with both legends in the twilight of their careers, the conversation is more intense than ever. And from his new home in MLS, Germany icon <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/thomas-muller/">Thomas Muller</a> has made it clear where he stands: Messi has the edge over Ronaldo.



After more than 20 years at Bayern Munich, spanning his youth career and first-team success, Muller has joined the Vancouver Whitecaps to close out his career. Having faced both Messi and Ronaldo countless times at the highest level in Europe, the German star finally offered his definitive take on the debate.



Speaking with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/mls/">MLS</a>’s official channel, Muller was asked about his past battles with Messi. Instead of focusing only on tactics, he gave a candid answer: “In the end I don’t know how it worked so well. We had big defeats against Barcelona, in 2015 when they won the Champions League that was one of them, but in the end I don’t know how we did it. But to be honest, for me, Messi is the greatest player we’ve ever had in this sport.”



Muller has faced Messi 10 times across his career, with famous wins such as <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/germany/">Germany</a>’s triumphs at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and Bayern’s historic 8–2 thrashing of Barcelona. Despite holding the upper hand in their head-to-head record, Müller still declared the Argentine the winner in the GOAT conversation.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250822_WST_586117_thomas-muller-bayern-munich-lionel-messi-psg-1200x675_2df8e6b3.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Thomas Muller of FC Bayern Munich and Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg." class="wp-image-586195" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22180713/thomas-muller-bayern-munich-lionel-messi-psg-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22180713/thomas-muller-bayern-munich-lionel-messi-psg-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22180713/thomas-muller-bayern-munich-lionel-messi-psg-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22180713/thomas-muller-bayern-munich-lionel-messi-psg-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22180713/thomas-muller-bayern-munich-lionel-messi-psg.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Thomas Muller of FC Bayern Munich and Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg.</figcaption></figure>



When speaking directly about the rivalry with Ronaldo, Müller acknowledged both legends but pointed out a key difference. “We always have this <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo/">Cristiano (Ronaldo)</a> and Messi discussion, but they both are crazy. Yeah, but Messi was a little bit more elegant,” he added.


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<h2>A change of heart for Muller</h2>



Just a year ago, Muller admitted that Ronaldo was Bayern Munich’s biggest nemesis, as Real Madrid consistently came out on top against the German giants in Europe. In contrast, Muller himself holds a strong record over Messi, with seven wins compared to just three for the Argentine across club and international matches.



Despite this situation, Muller admitted that his view has shifted over time: “I think in my first 10 years as a professional player, I always went for Cristiano, if there’s the GOAT debate. But now I’m a little bit older, a little bit more romantic, and I go more for the style than only for the performance, the work ethic, and so on and so on.”



The German also admitted that Messi’s 2022 World Cup triumph tipped the scales. “And after Messi won the World Cup with Argentina, I go for him… But, I will hunt you again,” Muller joked, as one of Messi’s old foes now shares the MLS stage with him.

Germany legend, MLS star Thomas Muller explains why Lionel Messi stands apart from Cristiano Ronaldo

Germany legend, MLS star Thomas Muller explains why Lionel Messi stands apart from Cristiano Ronaldo - World Soccer Talk

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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a> and Pep Guardiola shined together at FC Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, forming a legendary player-coach partnership in a team many consider the greatest in soccer history. But much time has passed since then, and the current Manchester City manager now believes a different player holds the title of world’s best.



Ahead of this Saturday’s Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/pep-guardiola/">Guardiola</a> held a press conference in which he addressed the status of Rodri, who was not even on the bench during last week’s league opener against Wolverhampton.



“Rodri and Phil (Foden), the last game they were out for just the reason of lack of training and rhythm. They could not play 90 minutes against Wolves, but they were ready and they are ready for tomorrow,” the coach explained, according to SkySports.



Speaking in more detail about the Spanish midfielder — who last played a competitive match on June 30 in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 against Al-Hilal — Pep was direct. “I just want consistency with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/rodri">Rodri</a>, that’s all. I don’t have any doubt about his potential, quality,” he said. “He is still the best player in the world.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250822_WST_586140_Rodri-1200x675_b2b88d03.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-583546" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/10141313/Rodri.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Rodri holds up his ballon d’or award prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur on November 23, 2024.</figcaption></figure>



Following that bold statement, the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/manchester-city/">Manchester City</a> coach backed his choice of Rodri as the No. 1 player in world soccer by citing his status as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. “In a few months, they will elect a new one, but he still is,” Pep added. Indeed, for exactly one more month — until the awards ceremony on September 22 — Rodri will remain the current holder of the trophy. However, Guardiola is well aware he won’t repeat the honor, as Rodri wasn’t even named among the 30 finalists this year.


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<h2>A new Ballon d’Or winner is guaranteed in 2025</h2>



Rodri isn’t the only Ballon d’Or winner missing from the 30-player shortlist for this year’s award. In fact, none of the still-active past winners made the cut. Alongside Rodri, the other active players who have won the Ballon d’Or are Lionel Messi (8), Cristiano Ronaldo (5), Luka Modric (1), and Karim Benzema (1). None of them are on this year’s list.



That means 2025 will see a new Ballon d’Or winner. Among the finalists, a few names have emerged as leading contenders for the prestigious honor. Ousmane Dembele tops the list, thanks to his strong individual performances and success with Paris Saint-Germain, while some also point to his PSG teammate Vitinha. Another favorite appears to be Lamine Yamal, already Barcelona’s brightest star at just 18 years old.



<h2>Who does Guardiola believe is the greatest of all time?</h2>



While Guardiola currently names Rodri as the best player in the world based on the 2024 Ballon d’Or, he has always been clear about who he sees as the greatest player of all time — a choice deeply connected to his unforgettable four-year spell in charge of Barcelona.



“Leo Messi is the best footballer in history,” Guardiola said in a 2024 interview with Che tempo che fa. “Maybe I’m being disrespectful to Pele and Diego Maradona, but I can’t imagine anyone like Messi, with his consistency… You have to know him. I had never seen anything like him, in training or in matches. You can’t imagine someone sustaining that level for 15 to 20 years. He’s one of a kind.”

Not Lionel Messi: Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola names the best player in the world

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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> is just one game away from his first official title with Al Nassr, as his team prepares to face Al Ahli in the Saudi Super Cup final on Saturday, August 22. But the competition has been hit with controversy after Al Ahli striker <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ivan-toney/">Ivan Toney</a> slammed the organizers for what he called poor preparation.



For the 2025 edition, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced the Super Cup would be staged in Hong Kong following a sponsorship deal with SUM KM Sport. However, the facilities and training conditions have left players frustrated.



Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference, Toney was asked about “the 40,000 fans in the stadium cheering for Ronaldo’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/al-nassr/">Al Nassr</a>.” His response quickly shifted to criticism of the organization: “To be honest, the preparation and how we have been treated has been crazy. We have been on the worst pitch. We have been training after teams.”



Toney went on to say that <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/al-ahli/">Al Ahli</a> are using the situation as extra motivation. “We have probably been the most hated team, the one that everyone doesn’t want to win, so it just gives us that extra hunger and fight to win something against these teams. You could see that in the game the other day (vs. Al Qadsiah), there was no remorse for them. We wanted to score more and more against them, and we did that,” he said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250822_WST_586073_ivan-toney-al-ahli-1200x675_f2b1a190.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Ivan Toney of Al Ahli handles the penalty kill during the Saudi Super Cup semi final between Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah at Hong Kong Stadium on August 20, 2025 in Hong Kong, China." class="wp-image-586106" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22153745/ivan-toney-al-ahli-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22153745/ivan-toney-al-ahli-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22153745/ivan-toney-al-ahli-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22153745/ivan-toney-al-ahli-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/22153745/ivan-toney-al-ahli.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Ivan Toney of Al Ahli handles the penalty kill during the Saudi Super Cup semi final between Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah at Hong Kong Stadium on August 20, 2025 in Hong Kong, China.</figcaption></figure>



Al Ahli booked their place in the final with a dominant 5-1 win over Al Qadsiah, with Toney scoring from the penalty spot. He added that the lack of support from organizers has only fueled their determination to win the trophy.


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“Hopefully we can take that energy, and bit of fire inside us, to win tomorrow. I think it just shows the team that we are. We get on with things. It’s not been the best, but we get on with it and take the fire out on the pitch,” concluded Toney after slamming the organizers.



<h2>Ronaldo’s strong record vs. Al Ahli</h2>



Al Ahli head into the Saudi Super Cup final in strong form after lifting the most recent AFC Champions League Elite and cruising through the semifinals. But history favors their opponents, and Cristiano Ronaldo in particular.



Since joining Al Nassr, Ronaldo has faced Al Ahli four times in the Saudi Pro League across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Al Nassr came out on top in three of those meetings and earned one draw, with the Portuguese star scoring three goals along the way.



<h3>Ronaldo’s Al Nassr vs. Al Ahli</h3>



<ul><li>2023-24 SPL, Matchday 7: Al Nassr 3-0 Al Ahli (two goals by Ronaldo).</li><li>2023-24 SPL, Matchday 24: Al Ahli 0-1 Al Nassr (one goal by Ronaldo).</li><li>2024-25 SPL, Matchday 3: Al Nassr 1-1 Al Ahli.</li><li>2024-25 SPL, Matchday 20: Al Ahli 2-3 Al Nassr.</li></ul>

Al Ahli star Ivan Toney slams Saudi Super Cup preparation ahead of final vs. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr

Al Ahli star Ivan Toney slams Saudi Super Cup preparation ahead of final vs. Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr - World Soccer Talk

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