Even those in the highest circles of power and influence are not exempt from soccer’s biggest debate—who is the greatest of all time?&nbsp;Prince William, an avid soccer fan and President of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/english-fa/">English Football Association (FA)</a>, recently waded into the never-ending discussion surrounding two of the sport’s biggest icons.



During a visit to&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/aston-villa/">Aston Villa</a>’s training ground, Bodymoor Heath, the Prince of Wales took part in a rapid-fire Q&amp;A session where he was asked to make some tough choices between legendary players. One particular question, however, stood out—<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi">Messi</a> or Ronaldo?



Prince William has long been a dedicated supporter of Villa, frequently attending their matches and even bringing his son,&nbsp;Prince George, along to experience the sport he loves. Recently, the royal was in attendance as the Birmingham side secured a place in the&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/champions-league/">UEFA Champions League</a> quarter-finals&nbsp;with a win over Club Brugge.



Ahead of the game, the&nbsp;42-year-old&nbsp;took time to visit the club’s training complex, where he was challenged to pick between soccer’s greatest legends in a quickfire session with&nbsp;The Sun. Some choices were difficult, others came quickly—his pick for a penalty taker between&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/Zinedine-Zidane/">Zinedine Zidane</a> and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/David-Beckham/">David Beckham</a>?&nbsp;“This is going to hurt. Becks, I think, just.”&nbsp;But when asked to pick between&nbsp;Brazilian <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/ronaldo/">Ronaldo [Nazario]</a> and Beckham, the Prince sided with the&nbsp;legendary striker without hesitation.



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However, the ultimate test came when he had to make a decision between&nbsp;Lionel Messi and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>—a moment that had soccer fans eagerly awaiting his response.



<h2>Prince William’s GOAT pick</h2>



After a moment of hesitation, the&nbsp;Prince of Wales&nbsp;finally made his choice.&nbsp;“Gotta be Messi, just,”&nbsp;he admitted. His decision, though only slightly in favor of the Argentine superstar, adds yet another voice to the debate that has raged for over a decade.



Messi’s&nbsp;extraordinary dribbling ability, vision, and playmaking skills&nbsp;have often set him apart from his rivals. His crowning moment came when he led&nbsp;Argentina to 2022 <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup/">World Cup</a> glory, further cementing his place among the all-time greats.



Despite his admiration for&nbsp;Cristiano Ronaldo, it seems Messi’s ability to&nbsp;define matches with moments of pure magic&nbsp;was enough to sway Prince William’s decision.



<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_20250314_WST_560066_Ronaldo-Messi-Miami-Al-Nassr-1200x675_c8d8ffad.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Ronaldo Messi Miami Al-Nassr" class="wp-image-471872" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Ronaldo-Messi-Miami-Al-Nassr-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Ronaldo-Messi-Miami-Al-Nassr-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Ronaldo-Messi-Miami-Al-Nassr-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Ronaldo-Messi-Miami-Al-Nassr.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Royal hamstring injury trying to copy Ronaldo</h2>



While he may have picked Messi as his GOAT, Prince William still holds the Portuguese in high regard—particularly when it comes to&nbsp;goal celebrations. In a lighthearted moment, the royal revealed that he once injured himself while trying to mimic&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/sergio-ramos-proves-his-worth-for-monterrey-with-another-goal-real-madrid-legend-channels-cristiano-ronaldo-with-a-memorable-celebration-video/">Ronaldo’s famous ‘Siuuu’ celebration</a>&nbsp;in his garden.



“Well, obviously!”&nbsp;he laughed when asked if he had attempted the move.&nbsp;“And then I do a hammy.” The admission drew laughter from those present, including&nbsp;Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings, who had playfully asked if William had ever tried to replicate Ronaldo’s celebration.

Royal opinion on soccer’s GOAT debate: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi – Who does Prince William believe is better?

Royal opinion on soccer’s GOAT debate: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi – Who does Prince William believe is better? - World Soccer Talk

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Royal opinion on soccer’s GOAT debate: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi – Who does Prince William believe is better?