Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed by Antoine Griezmann in his La Liga GOAT choice
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo starred in unforgettable battles for nearly a decade in La Liga, while also setting all kinds of records. Antoine Griezmann played during the same era as both of them, yet he still leaned toward another legend as the greatest player in the history of the Spanish league.
In an interview shared by ESPN FC on X, Griezmann took part in a rapid-fire Q&A in which he was asked for his opinions on different topics. In one of the questions, he had to choose the best player in La Liga history, and after a laugh, he went with Johan Cruyff.
The Dutch legend certainly earned a place in that debate. He played five seasons with Barcelona between 1973 and 1978, scoring 48 goals in 143 matches and winning the league title in 1974. Later, as a manager, Cruyff had an even longer run with the Blaugrana, working there from 1988 to 1996 and winning four La Liga trophies.
However, other icons who achieved even more impressive accomplishments were left out of Griezmann’s choice. In fact, Lionel Messi is the all-time leading scorer in La Liga with 474 goals, and he also holds the record for the most league titles (13), all of them with Barcelona.
When it comes to matches played, Messi ranks 12th in La Liga history with 520. The top spot is shared by Joaquin and Andoni Zubizarreta, both with 622 matches. Antoine Griezmann is fifth on that list with 546 matches and is the highest among active players in the Spanish league.
Griezmann picks his GOAT
In the same interview, Griezmann also answered specific questions about his favorite players. He chose Didier Drogba as the best finisher, Andres Iniesta as the best playmaker, and Marcel Desailly as the best defender. Gianluigi Buffon is, according to the Atletico Madrid forward, the greatest goalkeeper of all time.
Griezmann then selected Ronaldinho as the best dribbler and his compatriot Zinedine Zidane as the player with the most aura. Finally, he faced the biggest question of all: who is the greatest soccer player of all time? There, Griezmann gave an expected answer—he chose Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, avoiding picking one over the other.
Griezmann knows Messi and Ronaldo well
Over his extensive professional career, Antoine Griezmann has faced the two players he considers the greatest of all time on countless occasions. Against Lionel Messi, he played 28 matches at club and international level, with the Argentine forward winning 17, six ending in draws, and five won by Griezmann. In those meetings, Messi produced 28 goal contributions, while the French star had 12.
Against Cristiano Ronaldo, Griezmann has played even more often. In total, they have met 34 times, including several matches between France and Portugal, with a very balanced record: 13 wins for CR7, 12 for Antoine, and nine draws. The big difference comes in individual production—Ronaldo scored 25 goals in those matchups, while Griezmann scored only six.