In an interview with Prime Casino, William Gallas spoke about the Manchester City vs Real Madrid Champions League play-off clash, choosing between Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Football has given the world two legends: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Both have made their mark on history in their own way. But William Gallas, a former Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham defender, seems to have found the definitive answer. In his opinion, Ronaldo is the most perfect player of all time. For Gallas, there is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo represents the ultimate athlete.
Far from minimising Messi’s impact, the former France international insists on the Portuguese’s incredible discipline and work ethic. ‘People will say he’s arrogant by calling himself the most complete player, but look at what he’s achieved. He’s simply incredible. He’s still scoring. He’s still scoring at the age of 40, even for the Portuguese national team. OK, people say he plays in Saudi Arabia, but he also scores for the national team. You just have to give him credit, and he deserves it. I think he’s the most complete player ever to play football. In the long term, yes, he’s the most complete player,’ he stresses.
And the figures prove him right: even at the age of 40, Ronaldo is still piling up the goals, whether for club or country. While some criticise the level of the Saudi league, the Portuguese striker is proving that he remains a constant threat at the highest level, particularly with Portugal. His longevity and ability to adapt to different styles of play make him, according to Gallas, the most complete player in history.
If Ronaldo is the embodiment of hard work and dedication, Messi represents pure talent, a gift from birth. Gallas does not question the greatness of the Argentinian, but he clearly distinguishes between the careers of the two stars. ‘For Messi, it was natural. He had a gift from God. Ronaldo, on the other hand, had to work even harder to stay at the top for so long,’ he says. A comparison with other football legends reinforces this analysis. Alessandro Nesta, a former AC Milan star, once said that Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário was more impressive than Cristiano and Messi combined. However, history has been crueller with the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan star, whose career has been hampered by injury.
Ronaldo’s unrivalled winning mentality
What really sets Cristiano Ronaldo apart, according to Gallas, is his mentality of steel. First to train, last to leave the pitch, always driven by an unquenchable thirst for victory. This professionalism and obsession with work have shaped a player capable of dominating for two decades, a rare feat in the history of football. The former French international insists.
‘I played against Messi myself, or rather, he wasn’t quite in my area, so I didn’t keep him, even though I played against him two or three times. I played against Ronaldo a few times, and he operated in my area. I put those two in the same place because what they’ve done in football is incredible. They have different profiles. Some people choose Ronaldo, others choose Messi. Cristiano’s achievements are unimaginable. To have that winning mentality and to work so hard every day, even now, that dedication [to football] … That should be appreciated by everyone. First to training, last to leave training and all that,’ he added. This rigour has enabled him to rival Messi for over 15 years, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that he has constantly had to evolve and reinvent himself to stay at the top.
Ronaldo and Messi will forever go down in history as two inescapable icons. Each embodies a facet of football: one rigour and hard work, the other raw talent and inspiration. While William Gallas opts for Ronaldo as the more complete player, the debate will never die out.
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