DUTCH legend Marco Van Basten has blasted fans who think Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi as ignorant.
Barcelona superstar Messi and Juventus ace Ronaldo have dominated football for over a decade – only Luka Modric has broken the pair’s hold over the Ballon d’Or since 2008.
Legend Van Basten says Ronaldo cannot compare to ‘genius’ Messi
Messi leads with six to Ronaldo’s five.
Their on-field rivalry extends to having armies of fans who proclaim one or the other as the greatest player of all time.
But former AC Milan striker Van Basten is in no doubt over who is the best.
He told Italian sports daily Corriere della Sera: “Ronaldo is a great player.
“But those who claim that he is stronger than Messi do not understand football or are in bad faith.
“Messi is unique. Inimitable and unrepeatable. Like him, there is one every 50 years. As a child, he fell into the pot of football genius.”
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Ronaldo has won the Champions League five times, plus the Euros with Portugal in 2016, and is Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer on 450.
While Messi boasts four Champions League medals, 10 LaLiga titles, while racking up a staggering 626 goals and 267 assists.
Ronaldo shot to fame after joining Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, winning three Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Van Basten is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time and won the Euros with Holland in 1988.
He was also part of the great AC Milan side of the 90s but his career was blighted and cruelly cut short by a horror ankle injury.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
