"It's more than obvious" - Xavi explained why Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated world football for more than a decade now. Both have broken innumerable records and are widely regarded as the two best footballers of this generation.

The debate as to who is better between the two has raged on, with many notable figures from the game weighing in with their opinion. Current Barcelona manager and former teammate of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, feels that the Argentine superstar is clearly ahead of Ronaldo when it comes to influencing games.

His comments comparing Messi and Ronaldo from 2017 have resurfaced (via GiveMeSport) with Xavi explaining just why he considered the 7-time Ballon d'Or winner to be a better player:

“Messi does more things compared to Cristiano [Ronaldo]. Messi is the best. If Cristiano considers himself the best player in history, that’s fine, but those of us who see him train, there is no comparison.

“Messi is the best in history and we don’t see it any other way. Messi is the difference-maker and we always tried to give the ball to him in space with time to unbalance them. Messi is the player that makes the most difference in the world. It’s more than obvious.”

Xavi, of course, played with and won multiple trophies alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona. It is not surprising that the legendary midfielder has sided with the Argentine superstar while comparing him to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to get back to their best in the 2022/23 season

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After making a much-publicized move to PSG last summer, Messi struggled to hit the ground running and could only contribute 11 goals in 34 appearances last season.

The 35-year-old superstar looked to be coming back to his best at the tail end of the previous season and we could yet see the best version of the 7-time Ballon d'Or winner at Paris in the coming season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, had a fine individual campaign for Manchester United, finishing as the club's top scorer. The Portuguese international scored 24 goals in 38 games last season, but the Red Devils failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Ronaldo's future has been subject to intense speculation and the Portuguese superstar is reportedly looking for a move away from Old Trafford if the right offer comes in. It will be interesting to see where the 37-year-old will be playing in the coming season.