"His mindset is totally incredible" - When Lionel Messi's former teammate explained why Cristiano Ronaldo was better

Former Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Real Madrid player Pablo Sarabia shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023.

Having played alongside both superstars, and also Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the Spanish midfielder had a unique perspective on what sets each player apart. However, Sarabia threw his weight behind Ronaldo when asked to choose the best among the four.

Speaking to talkSPORT in an interview in 2023, Sarabia began by discussing the impact that playing with Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe at PSG had on him. He said:

"It's amazing because it's a dream to play with these players. "I learned a lot because when you're training with these teammates, these players, it's incredible. The goals, the assists, it's very important to try to learn in this moment and in training every day.

"They're amazing players. Outside the pitch these are very good people and because of this it's a reference for me and I want to translate [that] to my son also."

When Sarabia was asked who was the best between the quartet (Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, and Mbappe), he responded:

"It's a very difficult question. It's Cristiano because his mindset is totally incredible. It's very hard. Neymar, his ability to be different than the other players, it's possible to do everything, I've never seen anything like it. He has a lot of quality with the ball, it's incredible. With Messi, everyone knows his capacity, the ability to score, to find the solution."

Pablo Sarabia, who grew through the ranks at Real Madrid, made his debut for the senior team in 2010. He came on as a substitute, replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, as they cruised to a 4-0 victory against Auxerre in the Champions League. He moved to PSG in 2019, where he shared the locker room with Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe.

He is currently plying his trade with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

''He knows he’s not'' – Arturo Vidal makes his stance clear on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate

Cristiano Ronaldo recently made a bold statement, terming himself the best and most complete footballer ever. His assertion has since been making waves in the football community, and former Barcelona and Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal has given his opinions on the Portuguese’s recent claim.

During a Twitch livestream, Vidal was asked about Ronaldo’s bold statements, to which he responded (via Bolavip):

“He’s crazier than a… He knows he’s not [the best], he knows it. He believes in himself, and that’s what’s important.’’

He then picked former teammate Lionel Messi as the best of the pair:

“The best of all, clearly, is Leo. He’s from another planet.”

Despite having passed their primes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are still strutting their stuff at their respective clubs, Al Nassr and Inter Miami.