Jamie Carragher emphatically ended the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi GOAT argument, and his choice surprised the CBS analyst table with how sure he was of his judgment.

Lionel Messi is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Liverpool star Jamie Carragher, and it’s “not even close.”

Carragher took part in a six-person panel discussion and fielded questions from fans on the CBS Sports Golazo set in Miami. When asked about the long-running rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, he obviously backed Messi and asserted decisively, “There is no debate.”

“Ronaldo is nowhere near Messi’s level,” claimed Carragher. “Ronaldo is one of the all-time great goal scorers.” Messi is the greatest player in history. “Not even close.”

A member of the panel objected to Carragher’s viewpoint, claiming that the former Liverpool player disliked Ronaldo. This panelist argued in favor of Ronaldo, claiming that there was a period when the question over who was the best all-around player was settled, mentioning the Portuguese superstar’s time at Manchester United as an example.

“He was not at his peak at United,” Carragher contended. “Of course, he was a great player, but I think he was at his best at Real Madrid.” When asked how Ronaldo’s Real Madrid compared to Argentina, Carragher replied, “It’s not Messi (level).” “I don’t believe it’s (close).”

Carragher was soon reminded of earlier occurrences, and the tribunal pointed out that Messi had previously called him a donkey. He also mentioned that during his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo snubbed him despite addressing the rest of the Sky Sports Pitchside squad.

The football analyst slammed Manchester United’s second signing of Ronaldo and said Messi was a bad choice for PSG. Carragher admitted to receiving a “private message from the man himself.”