'Cristiano Ronaldo could play for anyone and score a hat-trick' - Sir Alex Ferguson's old Lionel Messi comparison proves why he's a genius

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made a comparison of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi back in 2015. The Scot was asked to choose between the two in the whole 'best player in the world' debate.

Instead of outrightly choosing Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, Ferguson offered an assessment that highlights how big a genius he is. Speaking about the two players, Ferguson surprisingly admitted that no one can dispute the fact that Lionel Messi is the best in the world.

However, the renowned tactician was firm in his opinion that Cristiano Ronaldo could make an impact at any club unlike Lionel Messi, who was tailor-made for the system at Barcelona.

The iconic Manchester United manager's old comments were relayed by the Daily Mail and were as follows:

"People say who is the best player in the world? And plenty of people quite rightly say Messi - you can't dispute that opinion.

"But Ronaldo could play for Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Doncaster Rovers… anyone, and score a hat-trick in a game. I'm not sure Messi could do it.

"Ronaldo's got two feet, he's quick, great in the air, he's brave - Messi's brave, of course. I think Messi's a Barcelona player."

Ferguson's comments have now resurfaced as Lionel Messi continues to get to grips with life at PSG. The Argentine superstar has only shown flashes of his brilliance for the Ligue 1 giants after leaving Barcelona last summer.

Notably, Lionel Messi has scored just one goal in 11 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season. Irrespective of his slow start in domestic competition with PSG, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has netted five goals in as many Champions League games this term.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi named among 4 greatest players in football history by Ronaldo Nazario

Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario recently named the four greatest footballers in the history of the sport, according to him. In addition to both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona were picked by the two-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Ronaldo was quoted as saying by the Sport Bible:

"For me, in the classification of the best in history, the four names would be Pele, Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are the top four in the history of football."

Since 2008, the prestigious Ballon d'Or award has been shared between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on 11 occasions. Ronaldo has won it five times, whereas Messi notched a record-extending seventh award last month.