"He cares little for what really matters" - When Dani Alves made interesting comments on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Barcelona legend Dani Alves, back in 2015, outlined why Lionel Messi was better than Cristiano Ronaldo. The two football superstars have lit up the beautiful game over the past two decades and have stirred up the GOAT debate like never before.

Dani Alves spent eight seasons at Barcelona, finding great success alongside the Argentinean. The Brazilian full-back shared the pitch with Lionel Messi 349 times, and contributed 48 goals together.

Speaking to Bola da Vez in 2015, Alves insisted that unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, La Pulga's influence on play extends beyond goals.

"Messi is much better than Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi has an influence on the play and Cristiano doesn't. See if he has an influence on play beyond scoring goals and appearing in certain moves," said Alves.

He continued:

"Messi is influential, he plays and assists. Messi has a divine gift. Cristiano works hard. We have our battles but I admire him. He is a guy with great dedication and he's competitive."

Alves, who faced CR7 30 times in his career, added that the Portuguese cares little for the collective side of the game.

"Ronaldo has things that I don't admire because I play for the team. I think that my team is more important than me. I think he cares little for what really matters, which is the collective side of the game - so much so that some criticised us during the celebration of titles while he celebrated the league top goalscorer award," said Alves.

Lionel Messi currently plies his trade with Inter Miami in the MLS.

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How many goals have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi scored in their career?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's goalscoring exploits are unlike anything the football world has seen before. Both players are in the twilight of their illustrious career and haven't shown any signs of slowing down.

The Argentinean has registered 852 goals and 381 assists from 1086 games in his career so far. La Pulga has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and is the most decorated footballer in the world.

CR7, meanwhile, has carved a legacy of his own throughout his career. The Portuguese is the only footballer in history to have crossed the 900-goal mark.

The 40-year-old has registered 925 goals and 257 assists from 1266 games across competitions to date. He currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, although his contract is set to run out this summer.