Maradona or Messi?: Wayne Rooney chose the best player of all time

Wayne Rooney is considered one of the best forwards in Premier League history, at least during the past decade. However, it was the English former footballer himself who surprised by placing himself below some of his historic rivals when choosing the best.

In an interview with the Champions League, Rooney participated in the classic game of choosing between two footballers until reaching an absolute favorite. The first comparison was between Haaland and Salah, and the former Manchester United player opted for the Egyptian. However, he quickly changed his choice when Sergio Agüero appeared, whom he preferred not only over Salah but even over himself.

The Argentine forward continued to be Rooney's choice over figures like Benzema and Raúl, until the game matched him against Thierry Henry. Against names like Ruud van Nistelrooy, Shevchenko, Ibrahimovic, and Lewandowski, Rooney chose the Frenchman. But he then leaned toward Cristiano Ronaldo over Henry, and also preferred him over Ronaldo Nazário.

The final stage came with Lionel Messi. Against him, Wayne Rooney didn't hesitate: he chose him over Cristiano Ronaldo and pointed to him as the best of all time. "Maradona would be close but I think I'd go with Messi," he said to close his personal ranking.

This choice isn't entirely surprising, as Rooney has repeatedly praised the Argentine star, even over Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he shared a team. In an interview for the podcast Pardon My Take, he had already stated: "The two are probably the two best footballers who have played, but I just think Messi is, in my eyes, the greatest of all time."

After Argentina's triumph in the 2022 World Cup, he reaffirmed this view: "Lionel Messi is the best player of all. What he does is unbelievable, he has a bit of everything. You can see him from scoring goals to playing as a pure midfielder."