Tom Brady spoke about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during a conversation ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. The moment happened during an exchange with influencer and streamer IShowSpeed, who asked Brady to settle the long-running debate.

Messi and Ronaldo are widely seen as two of the greatest players in soccer history, and they have dominated the sport for more than a decade at Barcelona, Real Madrid, and other top clubs. But the 7x Super Bowl champion refused to pick any side.

“I can’t pick between the two,” Brady said, as found in the clip from February, 2024.

In 2025, Ronaldo took 161 shots, and Messi recorded 157. Their careers at Barcelona and Real Madrid made the competition a global talking point, and the two faced off 36 times, with their first meeting in the Champions League in 2008.

In games against each other, Messi has come out on top more often, winning 16 matches compared to Ronaldo’s 11.

After 2024, in 2025 Brady faced the question again on Jake Paul’s YouTube channel Impaulsive on May, last year.

"God, that’s hard," Brady stuck to his answer. "That’s hard. I’m not even answering that question. I like them both too much. I like them both too much.”

Brady, who has recently shown interest in soccer and serves as co-chairman of Birmingham City, has been more visible around the sport. His involvement has brought extra attention whenever he comments on football topics.

That answer now shifts the conversation to rumors about his future plans and what he might do next.

Tom Brady addresses rumors about a possible return to football

Brady faced questions about the possibility of linking him to a return to the NFL during an appearance on the Stick to Football podcast with Gary Neville, Roy Keane, and Ian Wright on June 22, 2026.

Brady was asked if Ronaldo had influenced any idea of returning to the league. Brady gave a direct response of “No.”

The former New England Patriots quarterback spoke about attending international soccer matches, including the Brazil-Morocco match.

"Great time," Brady said on Sunday. "Had all three of my kids and I sat with my buddy Michael Rubin, who's a great buddy of mine. We're going to be at the World Cup final up in Jersey. But I love watching Brazil soccer."

With his focus now on media work and his role in NFL ownership, Brady’s comments continue to draw attention across both American football and global soccer.

If you were asked to pick between Ronaldo and Messi, who would you choose? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar