“He used to get the ball and only think about dribbling past opponents” - Deco highlights difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Barcelona sporting director Deco has highlighted the difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Deco was teammates with Ronaldo for Portugal's national team and shared the pitch 57 times with him, combining for six goals. On the other hand, Deco played alongside Messi for Barcelona. The duo played 79 matches together, combining for nine goals.

The former Chelsea and Barca midfielder has now said that Ronaldo used to be a winger during the earlier days of his career and focused more on getting past opponents.

Speaking about Messi, he said that while the Argentina captain has also evolved, his basic movements have remained the same.

Deco told FourFourTwo (via GOAL):

“Come on! They’re two different players. Cristiano was a pure winger in those early days – he used to get the ball and only think about dribbling past his opponents. He grew a lot as a player, becoming the competitive beast we’ve seen for so long. He has always been keen to develop in every way possible."

He added:

"Messi has always been a natural talent. He has adapted his game over time, but his way of moving has always been the same, so it’s hard to choose between one and the other. The ideal world would be to have both in my team – with them, you just pass them the ball and the rest is done!”

Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, and Lionel Messi, 36, are in the twilight of their careers and are currently playing for Al Nassr and Inter Miami, respectively.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both gotten on the scoresheet this past weekend

Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot during Al-Nassr's 3-2 win against Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday, February 25. The strike marked Ronaldo's 27th goal of the season in 28 matches.

Ronaldo also has 11 assists to his name. He has now reached 877 career goals and is edging closer to becoming the first player ever to score 900 professional goals.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, scored a last-ditch equalizer for Inter Miami during the Herons' clash against LA Galaxy in the MLS on February 25. Messi has now scored once and has provided an assist in two matches in the new MLS season.