Germany legend Thomas Müller has acknowledged a shift in his perspective regarding the Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi debate.
He now contends that the Argentine footballer represents the superior talent overall and has designated him as the greatest.
During an appearance on The Late Run, Müller disclosed that throughout the first 10 years of his career, he favoured Ronaldo over Messi. Nevertheless, he has now reconsidered his position and now endorses the Inter Miami captain as the greatest, citing his exceptional performances across the most recent two FIFA World Cups.
He said, “I get asked this question a lot of times. I think the first 10 years of my career, [it] was Cristiano. But when I look at the whole picture, the bigger picture, I have to say the greatest footballer, not the greatest goal scorer, and not the greatest winner.
“Considering his World Cup achievements and his current performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and even preceding that, I believe the pleasure derived from observing him perform, which extends across nearly two decades rather than a singular year—this combination of statistical accomplishment and entertainment value leads me to select Lionel Messi.”
Müller further explained that his previous selection of Ronaldo stemmed from Bayern Munich’s repeated defeats to Real Madrid during the Portuguese star’s tenure with the club. He stated:
“I always lost against Cristiano Ronaldo. He beat our a** with Real Madrid. Not with Portugal, but Real Madrid. We lost all the time against them. And against Messi in Barcelona, I had quite a good time. So maybe that’s also a reason.”
Lionel Messi secured victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, subsequently achieving runner-up status in the 2026 edition, notwithstanding his outstanding contributions to the national team.
Messi or Ronaldo: Thomas Müller changes stance on better player, names greatest ever