Jamie Carragher believes Lionel Messi is miles ahead of long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the Al-Nassr star is “nowhere near his level”.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The retired Liverpool defender-turned pundit was explosive in his backing of Messi’s ability when speaking to host Kate Abdo on CBS Sports, saying there was “never a debate” between the two star forwards. The Inter Miami and Al-Nassr players have consistently been pitted against each other over their two decades at the top of the global game, but for pundits such as Carragher, Messi’s superiority has never been in doubt.

• WHAT CARRAGHER SAID”It was never a debate,” said Carragher. “Ronaldo’s nowhere near the level of Messi.” Arguing with fellow pundit and ex-USMNT player Charlie Davis, the former Premier League defender added: “Ronaldo is one of the greatest goalscorers of all time, Messi is the greatest player of all time, it’s not even close. Ronaldo scored goals, Messi scored goals and was an unbelievable player.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi’s historic 2022 World Cup win with Argentina — and his dazzling performances throughout the tournament — were enough to push the balance toward the Barca legend for many people, as debates rage on about who has been the better player over the years. Since joining Inter Miami in July, Messi has continued fuelling that reputation, impressing so much that tickets to see him in action are now more in-demand “than any NFL game”.

WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

It’s unlikely that this debate will phase Messi at all, now that he’s won everything there is to win in football. Besides, he’s still got plenty of games coming up for club and country, the most pressing concern right now being to ensure his country qualify for the 2026 World Cup. And despite the fact that Messi will be pushing 40 when the competition rolls around, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has even backed his “unstoppable” captain to play at the tournament in North America.