'I played with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – here's who is better and why'

Angel Di Maria has hailed Lionel Messi as the superior player over Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentine star had the opportunity to play with both legends; he won the World Cup alongside Messi in 2022 for Argentina and the Champions League with Ronaldo at Real Madrid back in 2014.

Having recently hung up his boots on the international stage, Di Maria reflected back on his career and made it clear that for him, Messi takes the crown of the greatest of all-time because of his hefty Ballon d’Or haul. Messi boasts eight Ballons d’Or compared to Ronaldo’s five, which has swayed the Argentinian star.

Di Maria said: “At the end of the day, the best player is the one with the most Ballon d’Or awards, and Leo has eight. So for me, there’s a certain gap between him and Cristiano.”

Both icons now showcase their skills further afield with Messi at Inter Miami and Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. However Di Maria reckons these two titans have boosted the beautiful game globally over recent years.

In a chat with France Football, he said: “They continue to make people talk about them all over the world, while they are now in the United States and Saudi Arabia. The competition between them allowed La Liga to grow and they made everyone love football, even those who were less interested in it. With Leo, Americans are starting to rediscover football.”

The age-old debate of who is superior between Messi and Ronaldo remains one of life’s greatest sporting questions. Despite personal preferences, there doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer.

Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard once considered Messi as the best ever, as he hinted to Gary Neville on the Overlap. However, since taking up a role in Saudi Arabia, where Ronaldo also plays, his opinion has shifted.

Upon Ronaldo’s arrival in the Saudi Pro League, he said: “The arrival of ‘The GOAT’ as we call him, Cristiano, obviously was a huge signing.”

Yet, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has always been certain, labelling Messi as the greatest player of all time. “He’s just phenomenal,” Lineker previously told talkSPORT.

Another football legend, Ronaldinho, has also weighed in on the debate. The Brazilian superstar was already making waves at Barcelona when Messi was just a teenager coming up through the ranks.

Speaking to Goal, he expressed his preference for Messi, saying: “I would have loved to continue playing alongside him. I didn’t get enough time with him, he was very young. I’d love to take to the pitch with him one more time.”

Even non-football celebrities have their say on the matter. NBA star Kevin Durant declared Ronaldo as the “goat”, while reality TV queen Kim Kardashian couldn’t makeup her mind, answering “both” when asked who she preferred.

The argument could potentially be settled by comparing the number of trophies each player has won however. Messi boasts 45 senior titles, including 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and four Champions League titles, all won during his long tenure at Barcelona.

On the other hand, Ronaldo, who has played for several clubs throughout his career, has bagged 33 trophies, which include seven league titles, five Champions Leagues, Euro 2016 with Portugal and the UEFA Nations League.