Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo picks side in Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo looks at soccer legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in a strong light. He provided his stance on who he prefers as his soccer idol.

Former NBA player Goran Dragic had Antetokounmpo on the latest episode of the Gogi’s Garage podcast. Antetokounmpo says he wasn’t naturally gifted like a Kevin Durant, and because of that he relates more to Ronaldo in that sense. Durant even got a comparison to Messi as well in the response.

“I think I relate more, both of them are the GOAT right? Once you get to that level to say, Michael Jordan or LeBron or Messi or Ronaldo, you’re already the GOAT, it’s over with right? Because half would say Ronaldo and half would say Messi. But for me, I relate more with Ronaldo,” Antetokounmpo said at the 49:46 mark.

“Discipline, get better every single day. It was never easy, I wasn’t KD. If I was KD I would say Messi. But I was always work, work, work. Fight, fight, fight. So I think Ronaldo, I can relate more to that when I see his story than Messi.”

What lies ahead for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go down as two of the greatest players of all time, especially in the soccer world. Giannis Antetokounmpo will hope to continue using them as inspiration for his goals throughout his remarkable NBA career.

Antetokounmpo went through an injury-riddled campaign throughout the 2025-26 season. He appeared in 36 games as he averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He had shooting splits of 62.4% from the field, including 33.3% from beyond the arc, and 65% from the free-throw line.

Milwaukee suffered from Antetokounmpo’s absences with the injuries he sustained. They finished with a 32-50 record throughout the season, settling for 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings as they were above the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets while being under the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets. It marked the first time they missed the playoffs since 2016.

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