‘Messi is the best,’ claims former Cristiano Ronaldo teammate and Real Madrid legend
The historic rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid has often led players to choose either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo as their favorite, usually reflecting their own identification with one club or the other. However, now a Los Blancos icon has made a notable exception to that trend.
In a recent interview with EDYYN, cited by Mundo Deportivo, Raul Gonzalez gave an unexpected take on the GOAT debate:“I have been lucky to play with players like (Zinedine) Zidane, Cristiano (Ronaldo), Ronaldo (Nazario), Figo… but I think Messi is the best, he is very different.”
The names Raul mentioned are significant. All of them are former Real Madrid players with whom he shared the field during his 21-year professional career. Yet, when asked who he considers the best, he chose the Barcelona icon.
“He makes everything look easy; things you think are impossible, he makes them look simple,” Raul explained when justifying his choice of Messi over all the other players he has seen in his life. “It’s as if he’s playing with his friends on the street.”
Raul Gonzalez is a Real Madrid legend
These words about Lionel Messi carry particular weight given who is speaking. Raul Gonzalez is not just a former Real Madrid player; he is one of the club’s greatest legends.
He spent 16 seasons with Los Blancos, from his debut in 1994 until his departure to Schalke 04 in 2010. During that time, the forward played 741 matches, scoring 323 goals and providing 115 assists, winning 16 titles—including three UEFA Champions League trophies and six La Liga titles.
Raul is the third-highest scorer in Real Madrid history, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. He is also the player with the most appearances in the club’s history, surpassing Iker Casillas.
Raul saw Messi up close
Although they belong to different generations, Raul and Messi shared a brief period in La Liga. Between Messi’s debut in 2004 and Raul’s departure in 2010, they faced each other eight times in El Clasico. Barcelona won five of those matches, Real Madrid two, and one ended in a draw.
Raul was a starter in that legendary 2007 match where Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid in a 3-3 draw at Camp Nou, arguably Leo’s first major professional showcase.
In his final season with Los Blancos, Raul was teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo, who had just arrived from Manchester United. Before leaving for Schalke 04 and passing on his iconic No. 7 shirt, Raul faced Messi twice alongside Ronaldo—both games ended in Barcelona victories.