By disputing his former Real Madrid teammate’s assertion that he is the greatest in the world and claiming that Lionel Messi is the “best in history,” Angel Di Maria has put himself in danger of incurring Cristiano Ronaldo’s fury.
Last week, Ronaldo caused a stir when he declared himself to be the “most complete player” in history. It is the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s goal-scoring ability that is frequently used against him in debates over Messi’s superiority. The 40-year-old has been wreaking havoc in world football for a long time, becoming the best goalscorer in club and international football history.
Many contend that while his longstanding opponent is more technically gifted and can work magic out of nothing, the Madrid icon isn’t as well-rounded. The conventional wisdom holds that Portugal’s 2016 European Champion’s skills were manufactured, whereas Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup winner’s skills were given to him organically, as if the footballing gods touched him.
Di Maria refutes Ronaldo’s assertion that he is the greatest player of all time.
The legendary Argentinean explains Messi’s superiority.
Given that he has played with both of the greatest attackers, Di Maria is arguably one of the greatest footballers to speak with about the never-ending Ronaldo-Messi controversy. He played his whole international career for Argentina, where he helped Messi break down defenses and achieve footballing nirvana by winning two Copa America titles and the World Cup in Qatar in late 2022. They also played together for a season at PSG, however he saw less action due to the team’s inability to accommodate Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old Benfica winger spent four years at Madrid playing side by side with Ronaldo and developed a close bond with the team’s all-time leading scorer. Together, the attacking duo won six significant titles at the Santiago Bernabeu, including the La Liga championship and the UEFA Champions League.
When Di Maria responded to the Manchester United legend’s remarks (through the Argentine publication infobae), she took this into consideration:
“I spent four years with him, so I’m not shocked by his remarks. That was always the case. He constantly made such claims and made an effort to be the best, but he was born into a generation that was unfortunate because another generation was born who had been impacted by the magic wand. The stats reflect reality. One has won five Ballon d’Ors, while the other has eight. The difference is enormous. Having two Copa Americas is another significant difference, as is being a world champion. There are a lot of variances.
The former Paris Saint-Germain player also discussed how Messi’s abilities on the football field distinguish him from Ronaldo. He was convinced that there has never been a finer player to grace the sport and seemed to imply that the Barcelona icon’s playing is more unpredictable:
That one plays as though he were in the backyard, and you can see him in every minute of every game after that. He consistently achieves the same objective. Additionally, he has 18–20 years of experience. For what length of time has he been doing this? Everyone responds with, “But you already know what he’s going to do.” Well, go mark him, and he’ll still do it. He’ll be forty years old and still be performing tiki taka.
That’s the way it is. However, Cris is also like that. That was how he always said things. The same thing happened every time. Without a doubt, in my opinion, Leo is the greatest person in history and the globe.
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Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo with Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria, a colleague
Ronaldo Cristiano
Lionel Messi
Matches
166
142
Played Together for Minutes
10, 546
8,662
Objectives Helped With
25
9.
Objectives Supported By
3.
7.
Gains
431
283
Losses
151
131
Messi has not yet responded to Ronaldo’s assertion, but since winning the World Cup in the winter of 2022, he has not felt the need to participate in such discussions. After becoming a world champion, the 37-year-old Inter Miami player wasn’t overly thrilled to receive his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023.
