Carles Puyol has said that while he believes that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players to have ever graced the game, Lionel Messi is still better than the Real Madrid talisman.
Puyol is one of a rare breed who spent his entire career at one club, racking up nearly 600 senior apperances for the Catalan outfit.
The debate about who is the better player has raged for many years and, having seen Messi at close quarters for a number of years, the Spaniard is in no doubt over who is the superior player.
“Ronaldo is one of the best players in the history of the game, but Messi is better,” said Puyol, as reported by Goal.
“The competitiveness and rivalry between them is very intense and I think that has helped to improve them both because neither man relaxes.
“For me, Messi is the best. I have played with him and he has given me so much happiness. He is always improving and has been consistent for 10 years.
“I actually think that he gets better with every season and that is because of the passion he has.
“I hope that he wins something with his country. That would mean that aside from winning with his club, he will have won everything with everyone.”
The two superstars have been in a relentless arms race, posting staggering goalscoring totals and sending records tumbling season after season.
In the current campaign, the diminutive Argentinian has had the edge in front of goal, having passed 50 goals for the fifth season in an astonishing career.
39 goals in 44 games would be considered exceptional by the vast majority of the world’s strikers, but not by Ronaldo’s exacting standards. However, he has hit his stride at just the right time and Madrid have an exciting few weeks ahead.
COMMENTS