Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Mesut Ozil gave a surprising answer when asked to choose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Though both Messi and Ronaldo are now in the twilight of their careers, they’ve reigned supreme over the past two decades, winning 13 Ballon d'Or titles combined and sparking ongoing debate about who might be the greatest of all time.

When Ozil, who played alongside Ronaldo for three years at Real Madrid, was asked to make his pick, he gave an unexpected response.

Ozil on Ronaldo vs Messi

The former Germany international, who has Turkish heritage, replied with a smile: 'Arda Guler'.

Ozil once shared the pitch with Guler at Fenerbahce before the young Turkish talent transferred to Real Madrid.

Fan to Özil: "Messi or Ronaldo?"
Ozil's reply: "Arda Güler." 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/HiVFm47gxB

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 16, 2024

Although Guler shone at this summer’s European Championships, the 19-year-old has struggled to secure a regular spot in Carlo Ancelotti's starting lineup over the past year.

In the past, Ozil has openly favoured Ronaldo over Messi. In a Q&A on X back in January 2021, he wrote:

“Messi has proven himself to be one of the best ever in Spain, but Ronaldo was always the best in every country he’s played in!” adding a winking emoji for good measure."

Two years later, Ozil told Marca: “Playing with Cristiano Ronaldo was a lot of fun. For me, he is the best player of all time. We understood each other perfectly on the pitch - I assisted, and he scored. Passing to a player who almost never missed was a gift.”