“There is no doubt they are declining forces” – Gary Neville feels Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are ‘no longer the best players in the world’

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has suggested that the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can no longer be considered the best players in the world.

The former England full-back believes that the two global superstars of the game are now fading forces. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been dominating the footballing scene for almost a decade and a half, winning 12 Ballons d'Or between them.

However, Neville reckons that the iconic duo are no longer the players they used to be with age finally catching up with them. Neville told Sky Sports:

“We may see cameos or little swansongs here and there but there is no doubt that Ronaldo and Messi are coming to the end of their careers. Declining seems like the wrong word when talking about two great players but there is no doubt they are declining forces."

Neville insists that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo still remain top-class footballers but are no longer the best in the business.

As per the former Manchester United defender, the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski have taken over from the duo. Neville continued:

“For the first time in years, if you asked people which player in the world they would sign if I could only pick one, no one would say Messi or Ronaldo. They would likely say [Kylian] Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Robert Lewandowski."

“You would be naming players other than Ronaldo and Messi, and that is the clearest sign that, while these two are still operating at the highest level, they are fading from the levels they were at before. They are no longer the best players in the world.”

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Are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi done at the highest level?

Both Ronaldo and Messi are clearly not having the best seasons of their lives this season. The duo almost used to win games on their own for their respective clubs on their own almost on a weekly basis. However, that has not been the case this season.

Mighty PSG, with Lionel Messi on their books, lost to Real Madrid on Wednesday night and the Argentine could not make a difference.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored just one goal in his last ten Premier League games for Manchester United. The Red Devils continued to see their season go from bad to worse.

Fans may never witness any footballer getting anywhere close to heights the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi reached. However, it might be time to realize that they are no longer the best players on the planet.