Football News: Who is the greatest of all time? Cristiano Ronaldo names his top choice

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are primarily regarded as the two greatest footballers of their time and have received many awards throughout their illustrious careers. Lionel Messi (seven) is the sole player in history with even more Ballon d'Or wins than Cristiano Ronaldo, as the Portuguese have won the prized accolade five times.

Cristiano Ronaldo named one more football hero who can compete with these two geniuses in the most recent segment of his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.

In his interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo criticized Manchester United ownership (the Glazers) and manager Erik ten Hag in harsh terms. Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged that outside of Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane is another footballer who should be included in the GOAT discussion.

When Piers Morgan asked Cristiano Ronaldo if Lionel Messi was the best player in the world, excluding himself, the Portuguese star replied, "Probably, yes. Him, Zidane probably that I have played and fought with."

Undoubtedly, Zinedine Zidane is among the modern greats. The veteran France international has a strong bond with Cristiano Ronaldo, leading the striker to three straight Champions League titles with Real Madrid while serving as his manager.

What are Cristiano Ronaldo's thoughts on Lionel Messi?

In response to Piers Morgan's question about Lionel Messi, 5-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo responded, "Amazing player is magic, top… As a person, we share the stage of 16 years, imagine. We share." 

"So, I have [a] great relationship with him. I'm not friend of him in terms of, what I mean friend is the guy who was with you in your house, speaking on the phone, no, but it's like a teammate."

"He's a guy that I really respect the way he always speaks about me. Even his wife or my wife, my girlfriend, they always respect and they're from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. So good. What I am going to say about Messi? A great guy who does great things for football."

Lionel Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain last summer but will be a free man in the summer, and Ronaldo joked that if they played on the same team in the future, they would "sell a lot more shirts."

Many believe the status of football's G.O.A.T. to be contested between the two players. In turn, it has long been assumed that the pair harbors hostility against one another.

The two superstars have won a combined total of nine Champions League titles and twelve Ballon d'Or accolades. When examining their goal-scoring records, the numbers contradict logic.

Lionel Messi has already expressed his admiration for Ronaldo following the Portuguese forward's return to Manchester United from Real Madrid last season.

Following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Messi stated that United is a good team and that Cristiano Ronaldo has adjusted to the present circumstances at the club "in an impressive way."