Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves says he is a huge admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo but that Lionel Messi is in “another world”.
The Brazilian came up against the 37-year-old many times during his stint in Spain. Direct comparisons between Ronaldo and Messi have been drawn throughout their careers, the height of this debate coming during their time in La Liga.
Alves puts Messi above Ronaldo in his pecking order but admitted he hugely respects the Manchester United striker for his successes, despite once having a "scuffle".
"I love Cristiano," he said, as per Marca. "Now that we are no longer at Barca and Madrid I can speak, because it always seemed like I couldn’t.
"Cristiano exemplifies, for all of us who don’t have that much quality, that with hard work you can also compete against the best. I respect him a lot and I had the opportunity to tell him.”
He added: "There came a time because of the rivalry that I went up to greet him and he didn’t greet me. There was a controversy that never came out, but in the Ballon d’Or dressing room we had a ‘scuffle’, I greeted everyone and he didn’t greet me because of what Barca-Madrid was generating outside.”
Alves said he identifies more with Ronaldo than Messi due to the Argentine being born with a natural ability that no one can compete with. He praised Ronaldo for his work ethic and unrelenting drive.
He added: "How can I not respect a guy who got everything based on work? I identify with him because everything I did in my life was based on that.
“If you made a comparison, as a player, I am closer to Cristiano than to Leo because of the work, not because of the talent, because Leo is a born talent, who was born with the talent to play football and to be in another world that only he achieves."
nowhereee
40
❗Everyone gone quiet now Messi is having a crazy season and Ronaldo is yet to score or assist. Keep the same energy from last season. Where are these kind of tweets of Ronaldo Now .I guess he has paid them 😆
wesarsuyz
29
One by one, one after the other, all of them - all of us, must confess with our mouths that Leo Messi is best.
Factos
25
This, as a football fan, u cannot deny Cristiano is a great, arguably the greatest striker ever. It's also clear what Leo does is out of the world, making him the GOAT. U see Haaland scoring goals like a mad man, n u see KdB making insane passes from his team mates to get assists n goals. What Leo is in his prime was a near perfect combination of these two.