"Without a shadow of doubt" - When Scott McTominay picked between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, in 2020, rated Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT (greatest of all time) debate. The Scotland international described the Argentine as an exceptional player, highlighting how difficult it was to play against him.
When asked in an interview with SportBible (via Metro), who he rates as the greatest out of Messi and Ronaldo, the former Manchester United said:
"Messi without a shadow of doubt. All you gotta do is just watch him.‘I’ve never seen a football player like it in my life. He’s absolutely ridiculous.‘Obviously, I’ve played against him and you try and rough him up or you try to get close and it’s so, so difficult."
McTominay faced Lionel Messi twice during the quarterfinal of the 2018-19 Champions League season, while he was with Manchester United, and the Argentine with Barcelona. United lost both legs of the encounter, with Messi scoring twice in the 3-0 win at Camp Nou.
Meanwhile, McTominay shared the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese icon returned to Old Trafford in 2021 for a second spell. The duo featured together for the Red Devils 44 times and recorded two joint-goal participations. He has also played against the Portugal superstar twice at the international level, winning one and drawing the other game.
Messi and Ronaldo have left European football but continue to dominate for their clubs, Inter Miami and Al-Nassr, respectively. Scott McTominay, on the other hand, left Old Trafford in 2024 for Napoli. He recently guided the Naples-based club to the Serie A crown and was named the league's best player of the season.
When Scott McTominay picked Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo while building his perfect player
Back in 2024, Scott McTominay picked qualities from both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo while building his ultimate player. During an interview with GOAL, the Napoli star was asked to create his dream footballer using the attributes of various players.
McTominay named Messi and Ronaldo for the players' left and right foot, respectively. He picked Kylian Mbappe for the player's speed, fellow Napoli colleague Romelu Lukaku for strength, Neymar for skill, and former Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo for the player's football IQ.
After seven seasons at his boyhood club, Manchester United, McTominay took on another challenge with Napoli in 2024. In his first season in Italy, the 28-year-old registered 12 goals and six assists in 34 league appearances, playing a pivotal role in Antonio Conte's league title-winning side.
