Iconic footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he answered one of football’s biggest debates, the Messi vs. Ronaldo question. After initially answering seriously, Kimmel asked Zlatan to answer more like himself, following which the former PSG star picked himself.

Zlatan tells Jimmy Kimmel who’s better between Messi and Ronaldo

Zlatan Ibrahimović made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The World Cup has many venues across the United States of America.

During his interview, Kimmel asked Zlatan about the most debated question in football. He asked him about Messi versus Ronaldo, arguably two of the greatest footballers to ever play the game.

Kimmel remarked that Messi and Ronaldo were going to play their sixth World Cup this year. “You know both of those guys, right?” Kimmel asked.

“I know one of them,” Zlatan said, recalling that he had shared the pitch with Lionel Messi when he played for FC Barcelona. “I played with Messi in Barcelona. Yes,” he said.

Kimmel proceeded to ask who he thought was the better player.

“I mean, when you’re at that level, we wake up week in week out. I mean, who has the best performance from the last game, but I feel after Messi won his World Cup, he put the bar, and he closed the door,” Zlatan explained.

Kimmel told him that the answer seemed too diplomatic for Zlatan, who is known for his bold comments. “See, this is not the kind of wishy-washy answer that we’re expecting from Zlatan,” Kimmel said. Kimmel added that they wanted the meanest version of the player, who once made headlines in Europe.

Responding to this, the footballer said, “Who’s better from Messi and Ronaldo? I would say, Zlatan.”

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play for their respective national teams in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is also expected to be their final appearance at this stage.