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Manchester United midfielder Fred has admitted that he used to choose Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the past, but has changed his mind now.
Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the most prestigious individual awards in football for over a decade. It is telling that the two have won 12 of the last 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them, with Luka Modric being the only one to break the trend in 2018.
The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has sparked debate among fans, pundits and players over the years. Some have even changed their minds about who is the better of the two and Manchester United star Fred is among them.
The Brazilian has conceded that he once preferred Messi over Ronaldo due to the Argentinean's playing style. However, Fred has been tempted to change his stance after sharing the dressing room with the 37-year-old. He told TNT Sports Brasil [via Manchester Evening News]:
"I used to say Messi, it's a style that I enjoy more. But after playing with Cristiano, I can see closely the amount of work that he puts into every aspect of his football life. On the pitch, he's always in the right place at the right time. He's the player with the highest ability to turn a game around I've ever seen. I choose him now [over Lionel Messi]."
"He's [Cristiano Ronaldo] an exceptional guy, on and off the pitch. Every day he's working to get even better and that's important as an inspiration to all of us, especially the young players. He's a role model," Fred added.
The Portuguese superstar sealed a shock return to Old Trafford in a £13.5 million move last summer. The transfer came on the back of disappointing season with Juventus, in which the Italian giants surrendered their Serie A title and failed to make a deep run in the Champions League.
Fred has played 20 games with Ronaldo across all competitions for Manchester United this season. The midfielder-forward duo combined to score one goal for the Red Devils as well.
Despite suffering a drop in form in recent weeks, Ronaldo still has 15 goals and three assists to his name for the Red Devils so far this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United team-mate Fred has more league goals than Lionel Messi this term
Lionel Messi reluctantly put an end to his 21-year association with Barcelona last summer. The Spanish giant's precarious financial situation meant they had no choice but to adhere to La Liga regulations that prevented them from renewing their talisman's contract. The Argentina international joined PSG on a free transfer and put pen to paper on an initial two-year deal with them.
The 34-year-old, though, has had to take some time to find his form in the French capital. He has scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 22 games across all competitions for Mauricio Pochettino's side so far this campaign.
Messi has managed to find the back of the net only twice in Ligue 1 so far. It is worth noting that Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United team-mate Fred, who is a midfielder, has one league goal more than the PSG superstar.
