Darwin Nunez claimed Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah is better than both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after jokingly weighing in on the debate between the two.
An argument over who is the greatest footballer has rumbled on for some time with the pair having shared the world stage for effectively the past two decades. The Argentine appeared to earned an advantage this year having finally lifted the World Cup with his nation in the most recent tournament in Qatar.
That does not appear to have satisfied all though with the debate continuing to roll on. Reds' forward Nunez is the latest to have shared his thoughts.
Asked who he thought was better, Messi or Ronaldo, by Twitter user @MoSalaahh7, the Uruguayan striker allowed himself a short chuckle before replying: "Salah."
Intriguingly, the Egyptian winger was right next to the striker at the time of the claim but did not appear to tune into the huge compliment given to him. The 30-year-old, and Liverpool fans, are unlikely to argue with Nunez considering Salah’s eye-watering record for the Reds.
Since joining from AS Roma in 2017, the Egyptian has scored 172 goals in 277 outings in all competitions - 16 of which have come so far this season despite the side's struggles during the first half of the campaign. That is a record he will certainly be aiming to improve upon on Friday evening with the Reds coming up against Leicester at Anfield.
Do you think Mo Salah is on the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Salah has scored four goals in nine career appearances against the Foxes. Whilst the Egyptian still has some way to go to match the achievements of both Messi and Ronaldo, it has previously been claimed that he is the Premier League's version of the Argentine superstar.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara suggested last year that he was "the closest thing to Lionel Messi" following a win against Manchester City in 2021. Speaking with talkSPORT, he said: "He's the best player in the world, for me, if you are looking at a player who is playing at the peak of his powers.
"I can't look at anyone and say they are doing better than Mo Salah. Not only is he doing it in the Premier League, which is the best league in the world, but he's doing it in big games.
"That performance against Man City was outstanding. The individual brilliance, especially for his goal.
"This is a big statement... I think he's the closest thing to Lionel Messi we've seen, without being Lionel Messi.
"Since Messi's prime, if you are looking at another player who has come close in terms of a player like Messi I would say Mo Salah."
