Former Real Madrid striker Antonio Cassano compares Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Former Real Madrid attacker Antonio Cassano has called Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo "a manufactured talent", while hailing Lionel Messi as a "gift of nature".

As per Diario AS, Cassano stated that Cristiano Ronaldo had built his talent, while calling Lionel Messi his "idol".

Cassano praises both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Antonio Cassano (L) compared Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Antonio Cassano was a colorful character in the world of football, and made appearances for clubs like Roma, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also made 39 appearances for the Italy national team, scoring 10 goals.

The 38-year old, who retired in 2017 after a curious stint with Hellas Verona, termed Cristiano Ronaldo "a manufactured talent". He said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a manufactured talent. You notice it on social networks where you see him doing sit-ups with his children. There’s so much talk about him, less about Messi, but in football they are two completely different things. CR7 is very strong, but he’s built his talent."

Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in 20 straight years 💥 pic.twitter.com/MNM0ISkks0

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 3, 2021

The former Sampdoria man compared Lionel Messi to greats in other sports, including tennis legend Roger Federer. He continued:

"Messi, on the other hand, is Federer, Jordan, Maradona. He’s something we’ll never see again in life, he has immense talent that’s a gift from nature. I often hear that Messi played with phenomena at Barcelona. I remember Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta, and, in the beginning, Ronaldinho. But Messi also made players like Pedro, Dani Alves, [Javi] Mascherano and others champions."

Cassano also accused Cristiano Ronaldo of not being a team-player, and called Lionel Messi his "idol".

"He made many players grow with his talent. Ronaldo’s goal is to score goals, he doesn’t give a damn about the team or contributing assists. Messi, on the other hand, makes the whole team grow and he’s my idol," he added.

Lionel Messi registers his 200th assist for Barcelona in his 500th game. More than just a goal scorer ✨ pic.twitter.com/CgyLqFMpzG

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 3, 2021

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are regarded as two of the greatest footballers to have played the game.

Both superstars continue to operate at a high-level, with the 35-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo the talisman for Serie A side Juventus, and the 33-year-old Lionel Messi the captain and lynchpin for La Liga giants Barcelona.

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