Fred has revealed that playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United has changed his mind over whether his team-mate or Lionel Messi is better.
Ronaldo, who sealed a sensational Old Trafford homecoming in the summer, has regularly battled it out with Messi in the debate on who is the greatest of all time.
And despite the latter holding more Ballon d'Or gongs, seven to five, Fred is backing Ronaldo's corner, hailing the superstar forward as an 'exceptional guy'.
He also admitted that he picked Messi in the past, before spending time rubbing shoulders with United's current talisman over the course of this season.
'I used to say Messi, it's a style that I enjoy more,' he told TNT Sports Brasil.
'But after playing with Cristiano I can see closely the amount of work that he puts into every aspect of his football life.
'On the pitch, he's always in the right place at the right time. He's the player with the highest ability to turn a game around I've ever seen. I choose him now [over Messi].
'He's an exceptional guy, on and off the pitch.
'Every day he's working to get even better and that's important as an inspiration to all of us, especially the young players. He's a role model.'
Ronaldo is set to be crucial for United in their crunch Champions League last-16 clashes against Atletico Madrid, with the first leg held in Spain this evening.