Top 5 modern legends who never played in the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi

#3 Philipp Lahm

Germany v Argentina: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final

Widely regarded as one of the best right-backs of all time, Philipp Lahm has led Germany and Bayern Munich to immense success. Both his club and country have attained great feats under his leadership. This includes a treble with Bayern Munich in the 2012-13 season and the World Cup with Germany in 2014.

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The former German right-back was known for his versatility as he was comfortable playing in multiple positions. Lahm excelled in playing on both flanks and he was also used as a defensive midfielder at times. His superior tactical intelligence and technique was praised by great coaches like Pep Guardiola, which left little doubt on his greatness.

During his famed career, Lahm's presence has been a cause of concern for both Messi and Ronaldo. On their way to the 2014 World Cup, Germany faced both Portugal and Argentina with the champions emerging victorious under the guidance of Lahm.

#2 Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is one of the all-time greats for Liverpool. He remains the only footballer to score in the finals of the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League. He was awarded the Man of the Match in 'Miracle of Istanbul', where Liverpool came from three goals down in the 2005 Champions League final. They eventually won against Milan on penalties to win their 5th Champions League title.

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The central midfielder spent the majority of his club career with the Merseyside club. During his 17 seasons with Liverpool, Gerrard won two FA cups, three League cups and one Champions League title among other accolades. Gerrard made 710 appearances for the Reds, bagging 186 goals and 150 assists in his storied career.

Gerrard remains one of the best players to have never featured alongside Ronaldo and Messi.

#1 Andrea Pirlo

In over 493 matches in the Serie A, Andrea Pirlo has 58 goals and 89 assists in the league. However, these numbers fail to justify the genius of Pirlo, who was the best deep-lying playmaker of his generation.

Pirlo was an integral part of the all-conquering Milan side in early 2000s, ultimately spending 10 seasons at the San Siro. The Italian's majestic displays helped Milan win two league titles and two Champions League titles, among other notable accolades during his tenure. After moving to Juventus in 2011, Pirlo won four Serie A titles consecutively with the Old Lady.

Pirlo's ability to dictate games from midfield was extra-ordinary. It goes without saying that Messi and Ronaldo would've only benefited from a genius like Pirlo alongside them.