Most expensive autographs in football - Man Utd and Man City stars make top 15 with surprise from Chelsea man

For well over a decade, the divisive debate over whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time has raged on.

Fans of the Argentine point to his illustrious Barcelona career whereas lovers of the Portuguese star argue his international performances make him the best of all time, although Messi did secure that iconic World Cup win last year.

However, football memorabilia collectors aren't as obsessed with the Messi and Ronaldo debate as social media may have you believe.

It's autographs from legends of yesteryear that tend to sell for much more than players still in the professional game today.

LiveFootballTickets.com has crunched the data from 179 footballers past and present to see just how much their signatures are being sold for.

Messi and Ronaldo do make the top 15 most expensive autographs, but neither make the top three.

There's a surprisingly lofty position for a current Barcelona star and an unexpected inclusion for an American while one of the first-ever football celebrities takes the top spot.