Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: When Gerard Pique gave one of the finest answers to raging debate

Spanish footballer and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who announced his retirement on Thursday, once shared his view on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate that has gripped fans for over a decade.

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Spanish footballer and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique shocked fans on Thursday after announcing a sudden retirement just three weeks away from the Qatar World Cup 2022. With Pique having won every title for club and country, the news ends one of the most illustrious careers in contemporary men's football. One of the greatest pleasures in the Spaniard's career would be the fact that he played alongside both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But who did he think was the better of the two of them?

Anyone who has shared a dressing room with the two legendary forwards, who have a combined 12 Ballon d'Or wins, will know what it is like to play alongside two of the greatest footballers in modern history. Pique played alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United and spent a year with Messi at Barcelona, giving the Spanish footballer an upper hand in adding his two cents to the never-ending Ronaldo vs Messi debate.

During a unique chat with former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand in 2016, Pique gave one of the finest responses to the debate of who between Ronaldo and Messi is the better player. "I think that they are both amazing," the Spaniard said. "We are talking about two of the best players, not just in the world but the history of this sport," he added.

"I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn't go two metres far from his foot, it's always there. It's impossible to catch him, this talent I didn't see from anyone," Pique stated.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is such a different player, they are very different. He is tall, strong, he's really complete. He can do anything. He can do goals with the head, free-kicks, penalties, take one on one. But for me it's like Messi is not human but Cristiano is the best of the humans," Pique concluded.

Taking to social media on Thursday, Pique explained that Barcelona's clash against Almeria on Saturday would be his last game at Camp Nou. “Football has given me everything,” the defender reflected. “Barcelona has given me everything. You, culers (Barcelona fans), have given me everything. And now that [this] kid’s dreams have come true, I want to tell you that I’ve decided that now is the time to bring this journey to its end.”