Wayne Rooneyone of the most beautiful in England and a Manchester United Legend, ranks sixth in the club's history. After I shared the field with Cristiano Ronaldo but not Lionel MessiRooney revealed that he believes the Argentine star is above his former team-mate.

Rooney acknowledges that Cristiano and Messi were at the center of the famous rivalry between real Madrid And FC BarcelonaBoth are among the best ever. Still, he prefers Messi over his former United teammate, a decision that may surprise fans.

In 2018, Rooney was asked to name the best player between Messi and CR7. “Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi? Messi. I've said it before: They're probably the best players to ever play the game, but I just think Messi is the greatest of all time in my eyes.” Rooney announced on Pardon my opinion Podcast.

Despite his years alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, Rooney firmly believes the Argentina captain stands above any other player in history.

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona in action against Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United during the UEFA Champions League Final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC at Wembley Stadium. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Rooney's best team ever

In addition to his choice of Messi over Ronaldo, Rooney did not hesitate to mention his choice for the best team of all time in a 2018 interview The sun. Unsurprisingly, he chose a team that included the Argentine striker.

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““In my opinion, Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona was the best team of all time.” said Rooney, who later played for Derby County. In the same interview, he commented on Messi, who at that point had not yet won the 2022 World Cup: “Lionel Messi is the best player of all time. What he does is incredible; he has a bit of everything. You can watch him from scoring goals to being a pure midfielder.”

Rooney and Guardiola: A unique relationship

Rooney's career in England overlapped with Guardiola's arrival in the Premier League as manager of Manchester City, United's city rivals. Despite their competition, Rooney has openly expressed his respect for Guardiola's influence on football.

But after England's disappointing exit Euro 2024Rooney criticized Guardiola's influence on English football. “The game has become much more positional. Everyone is trying to score the perfect goal. I think this is Pep's fault. He brought that mentality to England.” Rooney commented.