Countless footballers have expressed their opinions on the age-old Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate over the past 15 years - but Peter Crouch’s personal view is arguably one of the most controversial.

On the 2022 series of his hugely successful podcast, Crouch asked various footballers and celebrities for their thoughts on the question that has split football fans down the middle over the past decade-and-a-half. Both Messi and Ronaldo are bonafide legends of the sport and will go down as two of the greatest footballers in history, but everyone seems to have their own view over which of the superstars is, and has been, the better player.

What's the general consensus in the Messi v Ronaldo debate?

The general consensus seems to be that Ronaldo has shown unprecedented work rate to reach the top of his profession, while Messi is perhaps the more naturally talented of the pair. That’s not to say that Ronaldo wasn’t supremely talented during his early years because he patently was. If you’re too young to remember, watch his highlights from his first spell at Manchester United and it’s abundantly clear that he could do things with a football that most other professionals could only dream of.

But it’s often felt like Messi was born to play football. We’ve all seen the grainy footage of Messi dancing past multiple opponents and scoring goals for fun as a young child in Rosario. While there’s absolutely no denying that the South American has worked incredibly hard throughout his career, it’s clear that he was also blessed with a God-given talent.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have scored an insane number of goals over the course of their respective careers and won a host of team and individual honours along the way, including a combined 12 Ballon d'Or awards. That number is set to rise to 13 later this year, with Messi the firm favourite to add a record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or award to his collection after finally getting his hands on the World Cup trophy.

READ MORE: Football's 14 most decorated players ft Ronaldo, Messi, Zlatan & Benzema

For many, Messi’s World Cup triumph not only cements his status as the greatest player of his generation - ahead of Ronaldo - but also the best footballer of all time. That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily right, of course. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the GOAT (greatest of all time) debate. It’s purely down to personal opinion.

People who were fortunate enough to witness Pele during his prime years may still consider the late Brazilian legend as the greatest footballer in history. Others would say Diego Maradona, for the way in which he inspired Argentina to glory at the 1986 World Cup finals, and for guiding a previously unfashionable Napoli side to their first two Serie A titles, producing magical performances week-in, week-out.

What is Crouch's opinion on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate?

Former Premier League striker Jermain Defoe was one of the guests on Crouch’s podcast in 2022. He expressed his belief that Messi is a better footballer than Ronaldo, pointing to the fact that the 36-year-old has won football’s most prestigious individual accolade, the Ballon d’Or, seven times - twice more than the Portuguese icon.

On the other hand, Crouch asked manager Sean Dyche and heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua for their thoughts and both went with Ronaldo. There will always be many who maintain that Cristiano is, in their eyes at least, a more complete player than Messi.

When Crouch heard this, though, he hesitated before saying something that was always going to irk Ronaldo’s hardcore fans. "I don't know if I should say this or not," Crouch said, "I feel if you say Ronaldo, you don't know football very well."

Crouch's co-host Chris Stark, a Ronaldo man, responded: "That's an absolutely extraordinary thing to say. That is insulting to a lot of people!"

Crouch added: "I think Ronaldo is incredible - incredible - but I do look a little bit down on you if you say Ronaldo."

Yikes. That’s certainly a brave comment from Crouch. Watch the clip here:

Hold on a minute, Crouchy...

To say that people who believe Ronaldo is better than Messi "don't know football very well" is obviously a huge claim - and certainly a comment that had the potential to antagonise a lot of people. Many footballers, managers, pundits and fans prefer Ronaldo to Messi and vice-versa.

Gary Neville, the former Manchester United captain, even said in September 2021 that Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time. Does this mean Neville, arguably the best pundit on TV, doesn't know football very well?

But others would agree with Crouch's view

At the same time, many of Messi's hardcore fans will argue that Crouch hit the nail on the head. The legendary Argentine forward, who has started his Inter Miami career in scintillating form following a difficult two-year spell with Paris Saint-Germain, is a once-in-a-lifetime talent who possesses an extraordinary ability to make the game look simple.

One ex-pro who’s surely in agreement with Crouch is another former England striker, Gary Lineker, who has hailed Messi on countless occasions over the past couple of decades. Speaking on an episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, the Match of the Day host eloquently explained why Messi is head and shoulders above every other player, in his humble opinion.

“I’ve watched him play for 20 years with utter bemusement and constant bafflement at the extraordinary things he does on a football pitch,” Lineker said. “That’s why, for me, I’ve always said I think he’s the best of all time. He does things that other players can’t do, or they do once in a blue moon. He’ll do four or five things in a game that I wasn’t capable of doing in one match in my entire career.”

However, as both Messi and Ronaldo approach the final stages of their breathtaking careers, Rio Ferdinand perhaps summed it up best back in 2018. The former Man Utd defender, who played alongside Cristiano but also knows the torture of facing Messi, famously said: “People try and make comparisons of who’s better, etc. Just enjoy them, man. We’re lucky to be in this time.”