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There aren't many players in the world who have had the privilege to play with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These two players are considered the greatest of the current generation and have competed directly for several individual and club honours.
Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record six times, and Ronaldo is a close second with 5. However, Ronaldo has a staggering five UEFA Champions League crowns to his name, as opposed to Messi's four. Additionally, the Portuguese superstar has an international trophy to his name, something that has eluded Messi in his illustrious career thus far.
It's challenging to choose who the better player is but several players have weighed in on this debate over the years. In this segment, we take a look at five players who have played alongside both these modern-day greats and voiced their opinions as to who the better player is.
5. Andre Gomes
The most recent player to have had the opportunity to be in the presence of the two greats, Andre Gomes is currently plying his trade with Everton in the Premier League, after stints with Valencia and Barcelona in the past.
He did win the Euro 2016 Championship but wasn't a crucial member of the team. Ronaldo had a rough tournament but managed to drag his team through the dirt and into the finals.
So when Gomes chose Barcelona over joining Ronaldo at Real Madrid in 2016, it came as a bit of shock as he passed up on the opportunity to join his compatriot in the Spanish capital. The midfielder, however, remained as diplomatic as ever when he was quizzed on the matter.
"I do not like to compare them out of respect, I will never answer it. I'm Portuguese and I have affection for Cristiano. As much as I do for Messi, who is my team-mate at Barcelona."
Gomes enjoyed a tumultuous spell with Barcelona but has impressed in the Premier League with Everton, where he recently returned to action after a horrific leg break last year.
The Portuguese international has time on his side to become a key player for club and country and has shown glimpses of his talent in England, after failing to live up to the hype with Barcelona.
4. Deco
Another Portuguese who has had the opportunity to see what incredible footballers these two are, Deco was no slouch himself. A master of passing the ball around and the metronome of the Barcelona team that won the Champions League under Frank Rijkaard, Deco had it all.
He was part of the Portuguese national team in Euro 2004 that suffered heartbreak at the hands of Greece in the final. Deco, originally a Brazilian, was called up by the Portuguese national side after not getting a shot at for the Selecao.
Despite some criticism from the media and certain players, the country can count themselves lucky to have witnessed such a graceful and talented player wear their national jersey 75 times.
Coming to the Messi-Ronaldo debate, Deco being the modest person he is, decided to sidestep the question slightly. In an interview with Soccer Laduma, he said,
"I think everyone has passion for Cristiano and Messi. It’s good for them! It’s good for football. Players like Messi happen maybe every 20 years, you know. Cristiano... of course he has a lot of quality, but he’s a machine. It’s difficult to choose. They are different and it’s difficult to choose."
3. Carlos Tevez
One of the most controversial players in modern football, Carlos Tevez has made a name for himself in world football because of his sheer tenacity and work ethic. He famously joined Manchester City after Manchester United let him go and has also had spells with Juventus and Boca Juniors.
Tevez unfortunately, did not achieve much success with Messi on the international stage. But when the two played together, they could find each other quite often with their link-up play.
Tevez could have played a more prominent role for Argentina, but it just didn't work out for the striker. The veteran striker is currently plying his trade with Boca Juniors in his come country, after a brief stint in China where he was one of the highest-paid players in the world.
Coming to his opinion on the Messi-Ronaldo debate, Tevez was very clear on who he felt was the better player:
“I think it is only right if Cristiano Ronaldo does believe he is the best in the world. Any guy who gets 37-40 goals a season has a right to believe that, but if you push me I am always going to go on the side of Messi.”
2. Gerard Pique
It's hard to believe Gerard Pique and Cristiano Ronaldo were teammates at one point. The Barcelona defender spent a part of his youth career at Manchester United after leaving Barcelona as a teenager in 2004.
He spent four years at Old Trafford but failed to make much of an impact. He only managed 12 appearances in all and eventually decided it was time to head back home. But in that short space of time, he gained immense respect for Ronaldo.
He has never been able to see eye to eye with him since then, but they still share that mutual respect. After the retirement of Carles Puyol, Pique has become the most reliable centre-back for the Blaugrana.
The duo share a solid relationship and have won numerous trophies in their time together at the club. It wasn't too much of a surprise when he was asked who the better player was:
“I think that they are both amazing, I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. Cristiano Ronaldo is such a different player. He is tall, strong, he's really complete. But for me it's like Messi is not human but Cristiano is the best of the humans.”
1. Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria, if not for Lionel Messi, would have been Argentina's best player of the current generation. Some fans even put him on par with Messi when it comes to performances for the national side.
Di Maria had a brilliant career at Real Madrid and was instrumental in making La Decima a reality. He was named man of the match in that final against Atletico Madrid. The only unfortunate thing was Real Madrid sold him right after the end of that season.
His career took a dip after that when he flopped at Manchester United. After only a season he left for PSG where he has managed to get his career back on track and become one of their standout players.
Di Maria has a great partnership with Leo Messi when he plays for Argentina, but he knows Ronaldo's game quite well given their time together at Madrid. It was always going to be a tough question when he was made to choose between the two players and so he came up with the perfect reply:
“They both want to win it all, It's part of who they are. I've been lucky enough to play with Leo, Cristiano and now Ibrahimovic. I've always said that they're the two best players in the world because, in all honesty, they are.”
