Okocha picks Messi over Ronaldo, calling the Argentina star exceptional while praising the Portugal captain as a special goalscorer

Former Super Eagles captain Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha has picked Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the long-running debate over football’s better player, describing the Argentina captain as a talent who is “on another planet”.

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Okocha gave his verdict while appearing on The Obi One Podcast, hosted by former Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel and broadcaster Chris McHardy.

The podcast describes itself as a platform for candid conversations with major figures in football.

Asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo, Okocha did not hesitate.

“Messi for me. Ronaldo is special, but he’s a goalscorer like Haaland,” Okocha said.

“Messi is on another planet. He was born to play football. I think Messi would get ill if he didn’t play football.”

Okocha’s comments add another respected former player’s voice to a debate that has dominated football for more than a decade.

Messi and Ronaldo have been the defining figures of their generation, pushing each other to extraordinary scoring numbers and collecting major individual and team honours across Europe and international football.

Messi has won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, while Ronaldo has five. Their combined total of 13 makes the pair the most decorated players in the history of the award.

The two stars have also followed contrasting paths in the later stages of their careers. Messi has continued his career in the United States with Inter Miami, while Ronaldo remains with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo, now 41, has recently indicated that the coming season could be the final chapter of his professional career. The Portugal captain told Vogue that he was preparing for life after football and wanted to leave a “spectacular legacy”.

That possibility gives Okocha’s assessment an added sense of timing, with one of the game’s greatest rivalries entering its closing stages.

Ronaldo’s achievements remain formidable. He has won five Champions League titles, five Ballon d’Or awards and major domestic honours in England, Spain and Italy. He has also become one of football’s most prolific international and club goalscorers.

Messi, meanwhile, completed the defining missing piece of his international career when he led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title.

His individual brilliance, playmaking and ability to influence matches beyond goals have long formed the heart of the argument in his favour.

Okocha’s own reputation makes his opinion particularly noteworthy. Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most naturally gifted footballers, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers midfielder built his career around creativity, close control and an ability to entertain as much as produce decisive moments.

His preference for Messi therefore reflects the qualities he appears to value most highly in a footballer: imagination, technique and an instinctive relationship with the ball.

Yet Okocha was careful not to diminish Ronaldo’s achievements. By describing the Portuguese forward as “special” and acknowledging his elite goalscoring ability, he recognised the qualities that have allowed Ronaldo to remain among the game’s leading figures well into his 40s.

The Messi-Ronaldo debate is unlikely to disappear simply because both players are approaching the end of their careers.

Their rivalry has become part of football’s modern history, with supporters, former players and analysts continuing to disagree over which player had the greater overall influence.

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For Okocha, however, the answer is clear. Messi’s natural footballing ability puts him ahead of Ronaldo, even while the Portugal captain’s extraordinary goalscoring record earns the Nigerian legend’s admiration.