Piers Morgan has ranked Cristiano Ronaldo comfortably ahead of Lionel Messi in a list of the 10 best players he's ever seen.
The TV personalty and avid Arsenal fan revealed his rankings following the Portuguese superstar's astonishing exploits at the weekend.
The Manchester United icon struck a stunning hat-trick in the Red Devils' 3-2 triumph over Tottenham - a game in which Ronaldo claimed the honour of football's all-time record goalscorer, according to FIFA.
The 37-year-old's latest heroics brought his career goal tally to a staggering 807, seeing him surpass the previous best of 805 set by Czech legend Josef Bican.
Morgan shed light on a text message exchanged with Ronaldo in the wake of his latest achievement, before revealing his own order of player preference in the debate over the greatest of all-time.
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo, who has developed a friendship with Morgan in recent years, came out on top in his 'GOAT' standings, but Lionel Messi was left to settle for third.
In Morgan's opinion, Messi's Argentine compatriot Diego Maradona was a superior player as he clinched second-place and the runners-up spot to Ronaldo.
The 56-year-old declared Messi is only the third best player he's ever witnessed, despite the fact the Paris Saint-Germain forward boasts a record number of Ballon d'Or honours.
The 34-year-old has been recognised as the best player of the year on seven occasions, while Ronaldo has been awarded the accolade five times.
Legendary Brazilian pair Ronaldinho and Ronaldo completed Morgan's star-studded top five.
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Another United icon came next, with George Best taking sixth spot in the rankings, one place above Brazil's three-time World Cup winner Pele.
Arsenal favourite Thierry Henry took eighth in the list, ahead of fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, with Italy and AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini completing the top 10.
In addition to sharing his views on the greatest players he's ever laid eyes on, Morgan opened up on an exchange with Ronaldo himself after asking him for his take on the 'Goat' debate.
In his column for The Sun, Morgan wrote: "Today, I texted him to ask him to sum up in one word why he's the GOAT.
"'I need three words,' he replied. 'More than special one, I'm 'The Only One.'
"Then he sent two laughing emojis. I could almost hear him chuckling – and winking - out of my phone. But he's right."
The pair have established an unlikely bond over the years and have kept in touch ever since Morgan conducted an insightful interview with the Portuguese forward back in 2019.
Morgan and Ronaldo have since been seen wining and dining together and evidently remain in close contact.
While United's No.7 has been soaking up the plaudits this weekend, his eternal rivalry Messi has endured a more testing time.
The Argentine attacker was jeered and whistled, along with team-mate Neymar, by PSG's supporters during their 3-0 triumph over Bordeaux on Sunday.
PSG fans took aim at the forward pair following the club's Champions League collapse last week which saw them crash out of the competition at the hands of Real Madrid.
Piers Morgan's list of the 10 best players he's ever seen:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Diego Maradona
3. Lionel Messi
4. Ronaldinho
5. Ronaldo Nazario
6. George Best
7. Pele
8. Thierry Henry
9. Zinedine Zidane
10. Paolo Maldini
