Southampton skipper, James Ward-Prowse, is the latest soccer player to choose his pick for the greatest player of all time (GOAT) between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both Paris Saint-Germain’s Messi and Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo are arguably the greatest players of their time, however, fans and players alike need to have their pick.
Some of the most decorated soccer players have made their picks over the years and Ward-Prowse has just joined the list. The Premier League player picked Ronaldo over Messi in the GOAT debate.
On JD Football’s TikTok account, the 28-year-old revealed that Ronaldo is his pick in the #ThisOrThat challenge.
James Ward-Prowse:
Cristiano or Messi?
“Cristiano Ronaldo” 🐐pic.twitter.com/KDYobHNq93
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) February 13, 2023
With a combined total of 12 Ballon d’Or awards, over 1,400 club goals, and a staggering nine UEFA Champions League trophies between them, Messi and Ronaldo have been the epitome of soccer players for a while now. Argentina’s no. 10 Messi even added the FIFA World Cup trophy to his collection last December.
The Messi-Ronaldo debate has been going on for over a decade and still has no definitive answer.
Moving on, in the #ThisorThat challenge, choosing between the GOATs was not the only task for Ward-Prowse. The set-piece specialist picked Andres Iniesta over Zinedine Zidane. He also picked Dutchman Virgil van Dijk over Belgium and Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany.
James Ward-Prowse has more freekick goals than Cristiano Ronaldo in the Premier League
In the debate of the GOATs, Ward-Prowse might never get a mention. However, in a debate of free-kick GOATs, maybe Ward-Prowse will be a common name. The Southampton native is a fantastic dead-ball specialist. His accuracy and power are sublime. Not only direct free-kicks, but Ward-Prowse is also famous for his delivery in the box from corners and other free-kicks.
“There’s not many better in the world…” 🤩#GoalOfTheDay x Southampton FC pic.twitter.com/Jih1eBV63M
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 7, 2023
In the list of players with the most free-kick goals in the Premier League, Ward-Prowse stands second with 16 goals. Former Manchester United star David Beckham leads the list with 18 goals.
Meanwhile, third is Cristiano Ronaldo with 12 goals. Ward-Prowse surpassed Ronaldo’s record last year to claim the second spot. However, not to forget, Ronaldo did not play a significant part in his career in England. Counting overall free-kick goals, Ronaldo has 57 goals, while Messi has 58. Beckham has an overall record of 65 free-kick goals scored.
Ward-Prowse, who made his senior debut in October 2011, has spent his entire career to date with the Saints. He has made over 300 appearances and has been a model of consistency. He scored his 15th free-kick goal on December 31, 2022, against Fulham. His 16th came on January 14, 2023, against Everton, which was a match-winning performance.