Former Bayern Munich star Samuel Kuffour offers interesting verdict on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Ghana legend Sammy Kouffour has had his say on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. The former Bayern Munich defender subtly picked one legendary player over the other, but also highlighted the strengths of each.

Speaking in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV (via Ghana Web), the Champions League winner was full of admiration for the pair, saying:

“For me, there haven’t been players like them in the same era and they pushed each other very well. You could see that Messi is way ahead of Ronaldo in terms of talent but Ronaldo has used hard work to catch up.”

While the former defender believes Messi is most naturally gifted, he fully respects the work ethic of Ronaldo. The pair enjoyed a spell of dominance that spanned over a decade where they both reigned supreme in the game.

While both can easily be considered among the best players in the history of the sport, picking one over the other will never be easy. However, with both players in the twilight of their careers, the time is right for the younger players to step up and fill their shoes.

Messi currently plays for PSG and while he has lost his ability to shock the world daily, the Argentine still retains the occasional Midas touch. Christiano Ronaldo, now 37, continues to be a lethal goal scorer and despite a disappointing season with Manchester United, found the back of the net over 20 times last season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are now in the latter stages of their careers

It was a less than happy season for many football fans, who saw their football legends falter for the first time in over a decade. Last summer, the duo made moves, with Lionel Messi switching from Real Madrid to PSG, and Cristiano Ronaldo moving from Juventus to Manchester United.

Lionel Messi saw a rather drab start in France, where he eventually ended the season with just six league goals, his lowest since 2006. He became the key playmaker and the main source for assists in the team, but the shocking drop in Messi's goalscoring is certainly a sad situation.

Cristiano Ronaldo did enjoy a more impressive goalscoring season, putting in 24 goals in 38 appearances. However, it could have been much better for the star in a more impressive club, as the Red Devils flopped in every competition. The last time Ronaldo finished with less than 24 goals per season was in 2007.