American rapper Eminem once made an emphatic claim in the ‘greatest footballer of all time’ debate, choosing Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo over Argentine icon Lionel Messi.

The world-renowned artist was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III and is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time in the rap industry. He has won a plethora of accolades, including 17 Billboard awards, 15 Grammys, and an Academy award, and has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Around a year ago, the American icon gave his take on the debate between Ronaldo and Messi by making an analogy between himself and the Portuguese legend. He said (via CristianoXtra on X):

“Always, the best in the world becomes the most hated person in the world. It happens with me in music and with Cristiano Ronaldo in football.”

Ronaldo holds a substantial number of footballing records, being the top scorer in international football (128 goals in 205 games) and the UEFA Champions League (140 goals in 183 games), among many others. He has won the Ballon d’Or five times and the FIFA Best Men’s Player three times in his illustrious career.

At the club level, he has won five Champions League titles, three Premier League titles, two La Liga titles, and two Serie A titles, among countless others during his time in Europe with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

With the Portuguese national team, he lifted the Euro 2016 title and the UEFA Nations League in 2019, both times as captain.

At 39, he is still going strong in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, having bagged 28 goals and 11 assists in 31 games. He is once again expected to be an integral part of the Portugal side in the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament, as he looks to add another feather to his cap.