"That's the difference" - Why Roberto Carlos thinks Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Lionel Messi 

Brazil legend Roberto Carlos spoke about the importance of training hard, which he said was the reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo being a better player than Lionel Messi.

Speaking to Fox Sports in 2017, Carlos said:

"These days, when you talk about football, you talk about Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo. Cristiano has worked to improve.

"When you talk about the Ballon d'Or or any other prize, it's not just any person who votes, it's people who know football, who follow the stats of the players and pick the best in the world.

"I watch him train every day and the way he works is exciting. He wants to improve every day. That's the difference with Messi. Leo is a phenomenon, we never talk about Neymar... but that side of Cristiano, of training, professionalism, focus, motivation, success... Cristiano has an advantage over all the others."

Carlos appreciated the Portuguese superstar's professionalism and determination.

Since 2017, Ronaldo has only added to his illustrious career. A move to Serie A side Juventus in 2018 followed, where he became the club's leading scorer of the 2011-2020 decade. He enjoyed a reunion with Manchester United and became the club's top scorer in the 2021-22 season before leaving the team earlier this season. He also recently became the most capped international player with 198 appearances.

Messi, on the other hand, has long achieved elusive international success. The Argentine superstar inspired his country to win the Copa America in 2021, before leading his side to a World Cup 2022 triumph in Qatar.

Carlos has spent 11 years with Real Madrid, scoring 67 goals in 512 appearances, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest South American players.

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Former teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo's reveals he hated him because of Messi

Paulo Dybala said he hated Cristiano Ronaldo as a kid as he was a Messi fan.

AS Roma attacker Paulo Dybala has spoken about his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentinian, who has had the unique privilege of playing with both the Portugal star and Lionel Messi, revealed a hilarious conversation he had with the Al-Nassr striker.

Dybala said:

“I spent three nice years with Cristiano, the team was very strong and he added something more. There’s a big rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo in Argentina.

“Once, we were flying out for a game, I was sitting at the back of the plane and he was slightly ahead. At some point, he came to me, we spoke about life in general for a while. I told him: ‘As a kid, I practically hated you.’ We laughed about it and we’ve always been on good terms.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has since left Juventus to join Manchester United and then Al-Nassr. Dybala, on the other hand, left the Bianconeri at the start of the season to join Roma.