Morgan Rogers named his five favourite players of all time in an interview with GOAL, with Lionel Messi absent from the list.
Cristiano Ronaldo was his No. 1 choice, and Rogers has kept that preference despite facing Messi in England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. Speaking on Chelsea’s in-house channel, Chelsea Unlocked.
Months after the match, Rogers explained why he still stands by his decision and what facing a 39-year-old Messi taught him.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is Rogers' No. 1 choice. “Ronaldo is my favourite 100%,” Rogers told GOAL. “Everything he did... He kind of had two primes as two different players and was still the best of both of them.”
Despite facing Messi in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, Rogers told Chelsea Unlocked that the experience did not change his preference for Ronaldo. He also admitted he was surprised by Messi's level at 39.
"Ronaldo's my personal favourite. But I played Messi in that World Cup semifinal; he's 39. I couldn't believe it. So, I can't imagine what he was like in his prime."
2. Neymar
Neymar sits second on Rogers' list. Rogers valued Neymar for his ball skills and the freedom with which he played. He described him as a player who could fully express himself.
"Neymar obviously… Purely on things he could do with the football, his skills, the freedom that [he had]. Not a care in the world aspect of just being able to go out on the pitch and completely express yourself," Rogers said.
Neymar's career has been shaped by highs and injuries. Neymar was part of Barcelona's 2014-15 treble-winning team alongside Messi and Luis Suárez before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record €222 million fee.
Brazil recalled Neymar for the 2026 World Cup, but lost 2-1 to Norway in the last 16. Neymar then confirmed his retirement from international football. His Santos contract runs until December, and he has not announced his next move.
Key Statistic: Neymar retired with a Brazil record of 80 goals in 130 appearances.
3. Paul Pogba
Pogba is third on Rogers' list, with the former Manchester United midfielder being another player he admired while growing up watching the Premier League and Champions League. Rogers chose Pogba for a similar reason to Neymar.
He likes players who repeat what they do after mistakes rather than changing their approach. He has also described Pogba as a taller midfielder whose game resembles his own, alongside Yaya Touré.
Pogba won the 2018 World Cup with France and scored in the 4-2 final win over Croatia. He was later given a four-year doping ban after testing positive for DHEA, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced it to 18 months, allowing him to return in March 2025.
He signed for Monaco, but his contract was terminated after six appearances.
Key Statistic: Pogba scored 39 goals and provided 51 assists in 233 appearances across his second Manchester United spell.
4. Wayne Rooney
Rooney takes fourth. Rogers called him "the soul of England when we were growing up", in comments reported by GiveMeSport from the same GOAL interview.
Rooney is Manchester United's all-time top scorer with 253 goals. He won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with the club, and scored 53 goals for England before Harry Kane surpassed his national record.
Rooney later moved into management, taking charge of Derby County, DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. He left Plymouth in December 2024 and now works as a BBC pundit. Rooney has said he may never return to management.
Key Statistic: Rooney scored 253 goals for Manchester United.
5. Steven Gerrard
Gerrard completes the top five, ahead of Frank Lampard. Rogers also admired Gerrard for his influence on England during the same period when he was growing up. Gerrard made 710 appearances and scored 186 goals for Liverpool, and won 114 caps for England.
He captained Liverpool to the 2005 Champions League title but never won the Premier League, finishing runner-up three times.
As a manager, he left Saudi club Al-Ettifaq by mutual consent in January 2025 after 18 months in charge. TNT Sports has since expanded his role as a pundit and co-commentator for the 2026-27 season.
Key Statistic: Gerrard scored 186 goals in 710 games for Liverpool.
How Rogers' View Of Messi Has Changed
Messi does not appear on Rogers' list, despite his status as an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and Argentina's all-time leading scorer and appearance-maker. Messi's omission from the original list became a talking point, but Rogers has since softened his stance.
He faced Messi in the World Cup semi-final, which England lost 2-1, with Messi providing two assists. Messi assisted Enzo Fernandez's 85th-minute equaliser and Lautaro Martinez's stoppage-time winner in Argentina's 2-1 comeback win.
Rogers set up Anthony Gordon for England's opener in the 55th minute. Those two assists took Messi's World Cup tally to 12, with 10 coming in knockout matches, an all-time record.
England then beat France 6-4 in the third-place play-off, their best World Cup finish since 1966, while Argentina lost the final to Spain.
Rogers has also come a long way since then. He went from a squad player at Aston Villa to a full England international who played every minute of their World Cup semi-final. This summer, he completed a British-record £117 million move from Villa to Chelsea.
That change in Rogers' career is part of why his answer from his Villa days has come up again.
