Thomas Muller has once again spiced up the GOAT debate with his latest admission about Lionel Messi. The Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate is probably the most controversial question in the soccer world. Over the years, several past and present soccer stars have chimed in with their opinions. However, Muller appears to have settled the debate once and for all.
During an interview with DAZN, Thomas Muller was asked to have his say about who’s the GOAT. The German international unhesitantly picked Messi over Ronaldo. Muller said, “Who is the greatest of all time? The GOAT for me is Messi.” Moreover, Muller explained the special X factor that the 2022 World Cup winner has over the Al-Nassr star.
❗️Thomas Muller: “Who is the greatest of all time? The GOAT for me is Messi because he makes people say 'I go to the stadium because of his elegance' and at the same time he is very effective in scoring goals and achieving records and titles. Cristiano is also a strong candidate… pic.twitter.com/0vwFMMXgZn
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) August 23, 2023
Muller stated that Lionel Messi makes people want to go to the stadium to see him in action. He added that not only does Messi score goals but he also has the elegance that Ronaldo lacks. Although Ronaldo has an impressive title haul and unparalleled statistics, it is Messi’s subtlety and elegance that gives him the upper hand in the GOAT debate.
Since winning the World Cup in Qatar last year, for many people, Lionel Messi has settled the GOAT debate. The World Cup was the only trophy missing from the Argentine icon’s packed trophy cabinet. Moreover, several former teammates of Cristiano Ronaldo have also picked Messi over his Portuguese counterpart in the recent few months.
Thomas Muller changes his tune on the GOAT debate
Despite his recent statement, Thomas Muller hasn’t always been this kind to Lionel Messi. A few months ago, the Bayern Munich star had a different opinion while responding to the GOAT debate. When asked to pick between Messi and Ronaldo, Muller went with the former Real Madrid star. He said, “Against Messi, things always go well at all levels in terms of results.“
🗣 Thomas Müller after Bayern's win against PSG: “Against Messi, things always go well at all levels, in terms of results. At club level, Cristiano Ronaldo was our problem when he was at Real Madrid.” pic.twitter.com/cKa8ljYxy4
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) March 9, 2023
Muller further added that Cristiano Ronaldo was much more of a threat to his team than the Inter Miami star. The 33-year-old German has won eight out of his nine matches against Messi. Muller was also on the scoresheet when Bayern Munich humiliated Messi’s FC Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League. Most recently, Muller’s Bayern Munich knocked out Messi’s PSG in the round of 16 of the 2022-23 Champions League.
Thomas Muller was also a part of the German team that defeated Messi’s Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final in Brazil. However, Muller did also add that he had immense respect for Lionel Messi’s performance at the World Cup 2022. He praised the former FC Barcelona star for single-handedly carrying Argentina to victory and further highlighted PSG’s failure to incorporate Messi into their team.
