via Imago

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the best of the best in the soccer world. Few players have had the privilege of sharing the pitch with both, and among them is Gerard Pique, whose career has intertwined with Messi at Barcelona and Ronaldo during their youth days at Manchester United. However, even after sharing a locker room with both, for Pique, Messi is ‘for sure’ the winner of the GOAT debate!

The revelation came in the latest podcast with talkSPORT. When asked if Messi is the greatest player he has ever played with, the former Barcelona defender replied, “Yeah, for sure. He’s the greatest player in the history of the game. So, for sure.” When further asked about being a good pal with the Argentine on a day-to-day basis, he shared his first experience with a 13-year-old La Pulga, with whom he played alongside for 4-5 years in La Masia.

“When he arrived, he was very small, thin, like crazy small. We saw him first and said, ‘Whoa, this guy, if we touch him, we will destroy him so be careful.’” However, it wasn’t any ordinary kid that Pique was about to play against, as he revealed how Lionel Messi magically dribbled past everyone, making it impossible for the ex-Spanish defender to not just be able to tackle but also say, “Wow, what is this?”. He further revealed how the 8x Ballon d’Or winner started to become an important figure in La Masia before he left for United.

The 2010 World Cup winner with Spain claimed that it was ‘incredible‘ how against a youth team including Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, and himself, rival teams used to lose 13-0, 35-0. “It was boring,” he added. While it’s clear, he holds the Argentine at the top, the former defender also shared profound memories with CR7.