'The reality is one has eight Ballon d’Ors...': Angel di Maria ends Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate 'once and for all'

The world of modern football has been defined by the longstanding rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two iconic figures who are currently in the twilight of their careers. This rivalry has sparked intense debate among fans and experts, who remain divided on who truly deserves the title of the greatest player of all time. While Messi has maintained a neutral stance and refrained from engaging in the debate, Ronaldo has been vocal in asserting his claim to the title on numerous occasions.

Most recently, Ronaldo made a bold statement during an appearance on a Spanish television show, declaring, “I'm talking about numbers. I think I'm the most complete player to have existed. In my opinion, I think it's me. I do everything well in football: with my head, free kicks, left foot. I'm fast, I'm strong. One thing is taste—if you like [Lionel] Messi, Pelé, [Diego] Maradona, I understand that and I respect that—but saying Ronaldo isn't complete... I'm the most complete. I haven't seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart.”

“Who's the best goal scorer in history? It's about numbers. Full stop. Who's the player in history who's scored most goals with their head, their left foot, penalties, free kicks? I was looking the other day, and not being left-footed, I'm in the top 10 goal scorers with their left foot in history. And with my head, and with my right foot, and penalties. All of them,” he added.

Angel Di Maria, a player who has had the unique experience of being teammates with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, recently addressed Ronaldo's claims. Di Maria and Ronaldo were teammates at Real Madrid before Di Maria's transfer to Manchester United. Additionally, Di Maria had the opportunity to play alongside Messi for Argentina, culminating in their victory at the 2022 World Cup where Di Maria scored in the final.

During an interview with InfoBae, the Benfica star shared his thoughts on the matter. “I'm not surprised, I was with him [Ronaldo] for four years. It was always like that. He always made those statements, he always tried to be the best, but well, he was born in a generation, just at a bad time, because another one was born who was touched by the magic wand [Messi].”

“The reality is shown in numbers. One has eight Ballons d'Or, the other five. There is a very big difference. Being a world champion is another very big difference, having two Copa Americas. There are many differences, many. And then you see him in the games, you see it in every minute of every game, that one plays as if he were in the backyard. He hits the same goal as always and keeps doing it. And he's been doing it for 18, 20 years.

“How long has he been doing the same thing? And everyone says, 'but you already know what he’s going to do,' well, go mark him and he’ll do it anyway and he’ll still be 40 years old and still do tiki-taka, tiki-taka. That’s how it is. But, well, Cristiano is like that too. He always made statements that way. It was always the same. For me, Leo [Messi] is the best in the world and the best in history, without a doubt,” he added.

Ronaldo and Messi stand as two of the most accomplished players in the history of football, having collectively earned a remarkable 77 official trophies throughout their illustrious careers. Messi boasts an impressive 44 trophies, while Ronaldo has secured 33. Additionally, both players have consistently surpassed the 50-goal mark in a single season on numerous occasions, further solidifying their status as legends of the sport.

Also read| Meet Pakistan's richest cricketer in Champions Trophy squad..., his properties worth..., not Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan