US President Donald Trump ignored both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when asked to choose the greatest footballer of all time, preferring instead another legendary figure of the sport.
Ronaldo and Messi have won the Ballon d'Or a combined 13 times, after dominating the football world during the late 2000s and 2010s.
Ronaldo's career includes spells with Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and currently Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he still plays today.
The 40-year-old has scored 800 goals in 1,062 club appearances and has won league titles in England, Spain and Italy, while also having five Champions League titles - won with United and Real.
He has also triumphed with the Portuguese national team, including the European Championship and two UEFA Nations League trophies, the most recent won this summer after victory over Spain.
Messi's career has included clubs Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and currently Inter Miami.
Messi has won the Champions League four times – all with Barcelona – as well as winning multiple league titles in Spain and France.
The 38-year-old has also won important trophies with Argentina, including two Copa Americas and the 2022 World Cup, after a dramatic penalty shootout final against France.
Messi has scored 771 goals in 951 club appearances – and the number continues to rise.
He now plays in MLS with Inter Miami, while the USA has just hosted the FIFA Club World Cup, which Chelsea won after beating PSG 3-0 in the final over the weekend.
This comes as the US will co-host the World Cup next year alongside Canada and Mexico.
US President Trump was asked by broadcaster DAZN who he considers to be the greatest footballer of all time.
And instead of mentioning Ronaldo or Messi, as many others would, he chose Brazilian legend Pele, whom he considers the "GOAT" of football.
He said: "Many years ago, when I was young, they brought a player named Pele to play, and he played for a team called the Cosmos. He was our inspiration, and the stadium was packed. It was an earlier version of this stadium, but right here in the Meadowlands, and it was Pele. I don't want to sound too old, but it was a long time ago. I was a young guy and I came to see Pele and he was fantastic. I would say, I'll probably go with the classics. It's like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pele was really great."
Pele – whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento – spent most of his career at club Santos in his native Brazil, before playing for a spell in the US with the New York Cosmos.
But it was his achievements with Brazil that captured the imagination of football fans around the world, with 77 goals in 92 matches for the national team.
He helped Brazil win three World Cups – in 1958, 1962 and 1970 – and passed away in December 2022 at the age of 82./Express newspaper/
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