Chiellini explains why he prefers Ronaldo over Messi: “He raises his level” | OneFootball

Legendary Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini had to choose between the two most iconic players of his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Euro 2020 hero has already hung up his boots following a successful late-career stint at LAFC and has recently returned to Juventus in a managerial post.

On the other hand, the two GOAT contenders remain active, although in less prestigious leagues. The Portuguese carved the path to Saudi Arabia for a host of other stars by pulling off a sensational move to Al-Nassr, while the Argentine opted to join David Beckham’s franchise, Inter Miami.

During his appearance on The Overlap podcast hosted by Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright, Chiellini was asked to give his input on the age-old debate, as he had to choose between Messi and Ronaldo.

The iconic defender had faced both superstars on several occasions, and even lost Champions League finals against them as well (2015 against Barcelona and 2017 against Real Madrid).

The Italian also played alongside Ronaldo when the latter completed a groud-shattering move to Turin in 2018. The two men were teammates for three years, and perhaps this factor tipped the scale in favor of the Portuguese.

Chiellini opted to side with his old comrade, explaining how he always wanted to play a decisive role and steer the team back on track when trailing in the result.

“When we were losing, he had the balls to take all the balls, no matter what, try to win, shoot from anywhere in order to lead the team to win, and it’s not easy to do it for a lot of players,” said Chiellini while chatting with the Premier League legends as relayed by Pulse Sports.

“When the game is more difficult, he raises his level of performance.”

Ronaldo won five Ballon d’Or during his illustrious career, but Messi holds the record with eight triumphs.