Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Brazilian legend Kaka reveals who he'd pick in his team

Former Brazilian footballer and Real Madrid, AC Milan superstar Kaka has made a tough choice by picking one of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to play in his dream team. Kaka played alongside the Portuguese striker from 2009 to 2013 at Madrid, while he faced Messi on numerous occasions during El Clasicos.

Meanwhile, during his recent appearance on Podpah for a podcast, Kaka addressed the positive aspect of both Ronaldo and Messi, however, he picked Ronaldo based on his mental fortitude in the age-old debate of who is the greatest footballer ever.

Speaking on Podpah’s Youtube channel, Kaka said, “I will separate like this (Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo): one is a genius and the other has a very strong mentality. Now, if you ask me who i want for my team, i would choose Cristiano. The chance of his failure is very small. He is very determined, and focused”.

It is pertinent to mention that Kaka was the last player to win the Ballon d’Or award before Ronaldo and Messi started dominating the award, which saw them share 12 ‘Golden Ball’ among themselves. Kaka won the coveted award in 2007 when he was an AC Milan player, while Ronaldo picked up his first Ballon d’Or in 2008. Messi picked four consecutive Balon d’Ors from 2009 to 2012, before Ronaldo won it again twice. 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka joined Real Madrid in 2009

The 2015 Ballon d’Or went in the Argentine’s favor before Ronaldo picked up his fourth and fifth titles in 2016-17 and the season after. Luka Modric became the first player other than Ronaldo and Messi to win the award in a decade, while Messi won the 2019 and 2021 Ballon d’Ors. Meanwhile, Kaka and Ronaldo were a part of the massive 2009 transfer window for Madrid, which saw other legendary players like Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema joining the team.

Kaka and Ronaldo guided Madrid to the La Liga title in the 2011-12 season, and also to the Copa del Rey title. One of the most remembered matches between Real Madrid and Barca from that era was a 3-1 aggregate defeat that the Los Blancos suffered in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. This also included a 2-0 defeat at home for Real Madrid, where Messi scored a double.

(Image: AP)