Real Madrid legend Raul has put club allegiance to one side and explained why Barcelona great Lionel Messi ranks above Blancos icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. Many with strong ties to Santiago Bernabeu have sided with CR7 in the long-running GOAT debate, but Raul is happy to concede that he favours Argentine magic over Portuguese passion.Messi was once a serious thorn in Real’s side, with epic battles often being enjoyed with eternal rival Ronaldo. Over the course of two decades, which saw them win 13 Ballons d’Or between them, two sporting superstars raised the bar of individual brilliance to never before seen heights.Both are still going strong at the start of 2026, with Messi committing to a contract at MLS Cup winners Inter Miami that will keep him in the United States through 2028. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is working on a two-year deal at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr that will take him beyond his 42nd birthday.It continues to be suggested that Messi and Ronaldo could grace the same team before the day comes for record-shattering boots to be hung up for the final time, with neither giving much thought to imminent retirement.Raul is among those that would like to see that union take place, but is not convinced that it will ever happen. Messi and Ronaldo appear destined to be kept apart, meaning that debate will forever rage regarding who can be considered the best.Ex-Spain international Raul, who hit 323 goals for Real Madrid through 714 appearances, played alongside several iconic figures during his days in the Spanish capital. He does, however, rate Messi higher than all of those.He has, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, told EDYYN: “I've been fortunate to play with players like Zidane, Cristiano, Ronaldo, [Luis] Figo... but I think Messi is the best, he's very different. He makes everything look easy, things you see as impossible, he makes them look easy, as if he were playing with his friends in the street.”Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!While Raul considers Messi to be the best to ever do it, he has admitted that another product of Barcelona’s fabled La Masia academy system could go on to dominate the immediate future of professional football.He is among those to have been impressed by teen sensation Lamine Yamal, who has been rewriting the history books since making his senior debut at the age of 15. The now 18-year-old forward already has La Liga and European Championship titles to his name and finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote.There is the promise of more to come from a hot prospect that is expected to illuminate the 2026 World Cup finals with Spain. Raul has told AS: “We all know he's going to be an important player, but Lamine isn't going to be the linchpin of the Spanish national team. There are more experienced players who need to help him so that he can be the protagonist on the pitch and take the pressure off him of having to be the one to save us every game. We have to give him his space. He has a lot of talent and a lot of youth, and he's shown that at his club and with Spain.”Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingYamal, as a left-footed playmaker that boasts the ability to glide past opponents with ease, has been likened to Messi ever since he trod a similar career path into Barcelona’s first team. He has attempted to quieten that discussion on a regular basis, as he builds his own legacy, but is finding it difficult to escape the shadow cast by the most decorated player ever.Yamal may go on to emulate Messi in many departments, with it already being suggested that he will become a multiple Golden Ball winner, but for now it is the Argentine GOAT - ahead of his own bid for global glory in 2026 - that remains at the top of any all-time chart.