Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Former Barcelona star Arda Turan settles GOAT debate

The much-contested debate between the better player between Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi seems to have no end, despite several players having split opinions. This time around, Arda Turan, a former teammate of the Argentina international, has opened up on his thoughts on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate.

Also Read | Wayne Rooney picks Lionel Messi over ex-Man Utd teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in GOAT debate

Arda Turan picks Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo 

Having agreed to a permanent deal to join Turkish outfit Galatasaray, Arda Turan, as quoted by beIN Sports Turkey, spoke on his top pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Barcelona midfielder revealed that he is friends with Ronaldo and he will not question his quality. However, he feels that Messi is the better player among the two icons. Turan trained and played alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner at the Camp Nou for three seasons. 

Turan praised Lionel Messi, saying that the Argentine forward does everything in a game. He asserted that Lionel Messi has the ability to do things on the field which one can't even imagine. Messi is present in every moment of football, said Turan, while also stating that he can dictate the game on his own terms. 

Also Read | Cristiano Ronaldo trolled by Lionel Messi fans after Juve ace misses penalty vs Sampdoria

Arda Turan's fall from grace at Barcelona 

Turan joined Barcelona after spending four seasons at Atletico Madrid. However, the switch to the Camp Nou wasn't easy with Turan often finding himself languishing on the bench despite possessing the No. 7 shirt. He could not break into the team's starting XI under various managers, managing just 55 appearances and 15 goals across all competitions and was loaned out to Istanbul Basaksehir in January 2018. On August 5, 2020, his former club Galatasaray announced his return on a two-year deal. 

Also Read | Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will not win the Ballon d'Or this year; read why

Sports personalities on Messi vs Ronaldo debate 

Turan is just one of the several sports personalities to have expressed their thoughts on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate. Other legends of the game such as Pele, Kaka, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Diego Maradona have also shared their opinions on the same. Whatever may be their pick between the two, one cannot deny that the two have achieved immense success respectively. 

Also Read | Bhuvneshwar Kumar picks his favourite between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Image courtesy: Arda Turan Instagram, AP