"The one who makes more differences" - When Barcelona legend picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Barcelona player Rivaldo once offered his perspective on the long-standing debate that has defined football over the past two decades: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Widely regarded as two of the greatest players in the history of the game, Messi and Ronaldo have captivated fans around the world with their extraordinary talents.

In an interview with Betfair in 2017, Rivaldo acknowledged the brilliance of both players but ultimately threw his weight behind Lionel Messi, naming him the best player in the world.

The Brazilian legend said (via GiveMeSport):

"I would like to play with Messi, it would be amazing. He is the best of the world, the one who makes more differences. Ronaldo? He is the most dangerous player at Real. It is hard to stop him, like Messi, because both score a lot of goals and you never know what is going to be the next thing they will invent for scoring."

He added:

"If Ronaldo won is because he deserved it. In my time there were more players than today challenging for being the best in the world. "I remember Figo, Del Piero or Totti, now you always hear about the same players and I am pretty sure I could challenge with Messi and Ronaldo because football was harder in my times. "I am not here for controversy, I'll just say that both are very good players. However, in my time you could find more quality players than today, in which you only hear about Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them. The Argentine icon has won it eight times, while his Portuguese counterpart has claimed it five times. Both players currently ply their trade outside Europe. Messi plays with Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer, while Ronaldo is with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

When Lionel Messi praised ‘phenomenal’ Cristiano Ronaldo

While Lionel Messi and Cristiano hava maintained an intense rivalry on the pitch, they have consistently expressed mutual respect off it. While on international duty with Argentina in 2017, Messi was asked about Ronaldo and he waxed about the Portuguese skipper in response.

He told Tencent Sports (via ESPN):

"No, I have always said it -- and [Ronaldo] from his part -- that he is armed with the presence of us both. We try to achieve the best every year for our team, and what is said outside of that I don't think is very important. He is a phenomenal player with a lot of quality. All the world knows, and that is why he is one of the best of the world."

The Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry began in earnest after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined Real Madrid in 2009.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer