"Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Arda Guler!" – Mesut Ozil puts Real Madrid wonderkid ahead of GOATs

Former Germany international Mesut Ozil has picked Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Guler as his favourite player.

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• Ozil asked to pick personal favourite
• Puts Turkey ace ahead of legends of the game
• Enjoyed successful spell with Madrid himself

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  What happened?

  Mesut Ozil enjoyed a successful spell with Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, before leaving the club for Arsenal, and he still has fond memories of his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, keeping a close eye on the performances of one player at the club in particular.

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• What did Ozil say?

  During a press moment that was published on social media, the former midfielder was asked who he would pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was his team-mate at Real Madrid. However, his answer was possibly somewhat surprising as he picked neither of the two greats and went for a surprise third option instead: Arda Guler.

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  The data

  While Guler is not a regular starter for Carlo Ancelotti, having started only three of the 11 matches of the current season, he is a key figure for the Turkish national team and recently scored one of the goals in the victory over Iceland in the UEFA Nations League.

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• Did you know?

  When signing for Real Madrid a year ago, in July 2023, Guler acknowledged that his football idol is Mesut Ozil, who already had words of praise for the left-footed youngster back then, too.

  “I can think of a better No.10 than me and I hope God protects him. It’s Arda Güler.”