Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Carlos Tevez makes his choice

What's the story?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two standout footballers of our generation and there has been an endless debate between pundits, fans and even players as to who is better.

Now, Carlos Tevez, who has played with both Ronaldo and Messi has given his view:

"Cristiano is totally different to Messi," Tevez told ESPN Argentina (via Soccer Laduma)

"When Leo was starting out, he didn't touch a gym. But Cristiano was there in the morning, afternoon and evening, all the time. Cristiano had to work and prepare himself to be the best, while, for Leo, it comes naturally.

"Those are the greatest differences that I see between the two best players on the planet."

When asked to pick the better of the two, Tevez went for his countryman ahead of his former club mate.

"Messi plays another sport," he added. "For Messi to score three goals (in any given game) is normal."

In case you didn't know...

Carlos Tevez who is currently playing for Boca Juniors is better qualified than most to choose between the two players. Having played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and Lionel Messi for the Argentine national team, Tevez certainly knows what he is talking about.

It can be seen from the Argentine's comments that he has a lot of respect for both Ronaldo and Messi even though he rates Messi to be slightly more naturally gifted than the Portuguese superstar.

The heart of the matter

Ronaldo and Messi are both at the peak of their careers. While the Portuguese superstar had a stunning 2016 and 2017, guiding Real Madrid to back-to-back Champions League titles and inspiring Portugal to the Euro 2016 championship, Lionel Messi also was at his usual best finishing as the top scorer in 2016/17 and winning the Golden Boot in La Liga last season.

Choosing between the two is almost impossible and rather than based on ability, the choice is usually made on personal preference. Tevez’s answer shows that he prefers the Argentine maestro over the Portuguese superstar.

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Author's take

A number of players, pundits and fans have weighed in on this debate and there is almost always no clear majority as to who is better. Instead of indulging in a constant comparison between the two legends, it will be better if we all take a backseat and enjoy the fact that we live in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.