One of the few players who has shared a dressing room with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is Deco, a former Portugal midfielder. He played alongside the Al Nassr star for Portugal and was with the Argentine at Barcelona.
Deco sided with Messi when asked to choose between the two legendary footballers during an interview with the Brazilian channel Cara a Tapa. The main reason the former Portuguese star backed the Argentine was that he was passionate about technically gifted footballers.
He said (by means of SomosInvictos):
“Because they are two friends, it is difficult to make a decision or offer an opinion. This is an extremely old topic, so we must conclude our discussion. I always say that Messi has nothing in common with Cristiano Ronaldo when analyzed. Furthermore, Cristiano does not resemble Messi in any way when analyzed. Because of the way he plays, you can compare Cristiano Ronaldo to Ronaldo (Nazário). Messi and Cristiano are totally different.”
Added deco:
“I was generally enthusiastic about specialized players. Maradona and Zico were my idols when I was growing up. I was always one of the guys who had those qualities (technical, generational) and never liked the guys on the attack front. Because of this, I stayed with Messi.”
Deco shared the field with Ronaldo 57 times for the national team and played 79 matches with Messi at Barcelona.
Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo banter proceeds:
The debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been going on for nearly two decades and does not appear to be ending. They have not slowed down and have been pushing each other to perform at their highest level. Messi is about to enter a pivotal phase of his career where he must choose his next move. His PSG contract runs out in the summer, and the two sides have yet to agree on a new one.
Barcelona are attempting to return him once again to Camp Nou, however, their monetary circumstance confuses things. In order to return, Lionel Messi is said to be willing to wait and take a pay cut. After being released from Manchester United last year, Cristiano Ronaldo is enjoying his time at Al Nassr. In the Saudi Pro League, the Portuguese star has made 12 appearances and scored 12 goals.