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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Matthew Abbott

Mesut Ozil delivers fresh Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi verdict after announcing retirement

Mesut Ozil has named former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo the best player of all time after announcing his retirement from football.

Retiring at 34, Ozil spent the last two seasons playing for Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish top flight, the country his parents hail from. The 92-cap Germany international cited injury issues as the reason for hanging up the boots just over two years since Arsenal prematurely terminated his contract after seven-and-a-half years at the club.

The playmaker arrived in north London from the Spanish capital after three seasons alongside Ronaldo in Madrid. Ozil assisted 32 goals for the Portugal international during that period, with his teammate returning the favour seven times across 149 matches in which they featured alongside each other, an experience the midfielder recalls fondly.

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