Most footballers find it difficult to decide in the eternal debate of the best players of the present time, but Ilkay Gundogan it is much more forceful in its position. For him the best of all is Lionel Messi And it is something that he has repeatedly stated when questioned on the subject at different times in his career.
In a dynamic with Soccer AMFor example, they asked him who between Messi and Cristiano should have the best rating in FIFA. And his response was immediate: “Of course Messi. There is no question about that. For me, there is no question about that. ”
“Of course Cristiano is special and surely we will not see someone like him in 20 or 30 years, but what Messi does is off this planet. It is pure talent. And when pure talent meets the desire to win, it turns out what Lionel Messi is ”, he pointed out, in words collected by the Soccer AM from Sky Sports (2019).
On the other hand, in a series of quick questions that he put together with his twitter followers a few years ago (2017), the current Manchester City midfielder answered even more directly: “¿Messi o Ronaldo? Messi ”.
And later, in statements to the official DFB media, Gundogan made it clear why choosing between CR7 and Messi does not generate complications. The reason? In his understanding, the 10 of FC Barcelona is the greatest of all time: “Messi is the best). In my opinion, he has very special abilities. He has the talent and he always finds a way to show it on the pitch. He has the instinct to make the right decision, he uses his speed well, he has great definition and nobody has as much quality as him. He is the star footballer of my generation and the best footballer of all time. I hope we can see him play for a few more years. ”
Total admiration for both. However, in the direct duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for Ilkay Gundogan there is no discussion.
Undefeated data. Lionel Messi registers 650 goals and 261 assists in the 756 official matches he has played for FC Barcelona. Never seen in the entire history of the game.
Did you know..? Lionel Messi is the footballer who has won the Golden Shoe the most times (6), the Golden Ball (6) and the IFFHS Award for the best game constructor (4). The art of playing and making play in its purest form.