Alexander-Arnold finally settles greatest of all time debate but snubs Salah

23 February 2024 , 01:00

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Trent Alexander-Arnold has become the latest to chip in on the Messi v Ronaldo debate (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Trent Alexander-Arnold was given a number of difficult choices when completing a bracket of footballers, deciding on a winner between 16 stars of the game.

As well as the often-posed question of 'Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo', the England and Liverpool right-back was forced to choose between international colleague Harry Kane and club team-mate Mohamed Salah. Salah came out on top there, but didn't go all the way.

Durng the video, shared on JD Sports' Tiktok channel, Alexander-Arnold is forced to move his head to the left or the right to choose between eight pairs of players past and present. After those quarter-finals come semis and a final, with the defender picking an eventual winner.

Salah makes it past Kane and Samuel Eto'o to reach the semis, where his challenge falls short against Ronaldo. Then, finally, Messi pips the Portuguese international for the top spot overall after beating Karim Benzema in the semis.

The quarter-finals of Alexander-Arnold's bracket saw Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Salah and Eto'o. Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Thierry Henry and Messi make it through. They beat, respectively, Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen, Kane, Lautaro Martinez, Vinicius Junior, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney and Erling Haaland.

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Those eight winners then played down to a victor, with Messi claiming the honours. Alexander-Arnold isn't the first Liverpool favourite to opt for Messi over Ronaldo, with Jamie Carragher doing the same in November.

"Ronaldo is nowhere near the level of Messi," Carragher said on CBS Sports Golazo. "Ronaldo is one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time. Messi is the greatest player of all time. It's not even close."

Do you agree with Trent Alexander-Arnold's picks? Have your say in the comments section

Alexander-Arnold's team-mate Mohamed Salah didn't quite make the final in his bracket (Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)

Liverpool star Salah, one of Alexander-Arnold's four semi-finalists, returned from injury with a goal and an assist as the Reds beat Brentford over the weekend. However, he suffered a setback in the game which kept him out of Wednesday's victory over Luton Town.

Alexander-Arnold was another absentee for the midweek game, as was Dominik Szoboszlai, and both are expected to miss Sunday's Carabao Cup final. Liverpool were forced to name a makeshift first team and bench for the Luton game but still ran out 4-1 winners.

“All the little bit longer term, like Trent and Dom, they’re on their way back, but not available," manager Jurgen Klopp said before the game. “If we have 11 players, we will go for it and that’s exactly the idea.”

Luton took an early lead through Chiedozie Ogbene and kept it until the break. Liverpool fought back, though, with Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott all on target in the home win.

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Tom Victor