Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo has revealed what differentiates Lionel Messi from Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
Neymar is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the all-time greatest debate.
Arthur has had the rare privilege of playing with all three players in his career. He teamed up with Messi at Barcelona, shared a dressing room with Ronaldo in Turin, and defends Brazil's colors with Neymar at international level.
Speaking to TNT Sports Brasil, the former Gremio man revealed that Lionel Messi is more reserved than the other two while also praising his work-ethic.
"He is reserved, but also outgoing. A great professional, he works a lot. He has a more reserved life, maybe not like Cristiano or Neymar, but because of his personality, he can do whatever he wants. He also helped me a lot when I arrived at Barcelona. He spoke highly of me in interviews in my early days in Europe. It has also been a privilege to work with him."
Arthur has overcome an early-season injury and is now a regular in the Juventus midfield, starting each of their last three Serie A matches.
He will be looking to play a role as the Bianconeri seek to progress to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League when they host Villarreal on Wednesday.
Has the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi era of dominance come to an end?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the footballing stage like no other pair before them.
The duo have taken the game to previously unimagined heights with their displays and it is almost impossible to determine who the better player is.
Despite their seemingly otherworldly abilities, it is pertinent to note that both men are still human.
They are not immune from the rigors and effects of time and their performance levels have significantly dropped in recent years.
Messi's move to PSG has not generated the positive headlines many believed it would. Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his best efforts, has not been able to lift Manchester United from their cycle of mediocrity.
Both men were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the round-of-16 stage and failed to make a mark, which was not the case in years gone past.
The end of the Messi/Ronaldo era was always bound to come and football fans who were lucky enough to witness their greatness first-hand will be eternally grateful.