"This duel gave them both motivations" - When Carlo Ancelotti weighed in on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti failed to pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when asked to do so in late 2022. The Italian coach was asked to choose the better of the two after the Argentine's World Cup triumph with his nation in Qatar that year.

While the 37-year-old has laid his hands on the World Cup trophy, Ronaldo still waits to hold the coveted prize. However, seemingly hinting at the fact that this alone would not put Messi over the former Manchester United star, Ancelotti told Radio Anch'io Sport (via 90 min):

"The duel gave them both motivations. In recent years, they have been the main players in the world of football, playing great and scoring many goals.

"Messi closes his career with the World Cup, CR7 closes it a different way, but it was extraordinary anyway. Especially here, in Madrid, he will remain forever in the hearts of the fans."

Ronaldo's most successful years as a player came while he was at the Santiago Bernabeu. With Real Madrid, he made 438 appearances across competitions, bagging 450 goals and 131 assists. The Al-Nassr sensation won four UEFA Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles, among others at the club.

Meanwhile, Messi represented Los Blancos' arch-rivals Barcelona, where he played 778 matches in all competitions, bagging 672 goals and 303 assists. The Inter Miami attacker won 10 La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League thrice, among other honors at Camp Nou.

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Angel Di Maria weighed in on the Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo debate in 2024

Lionel Messi (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo

Angel Di Maria, who has played beside both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, claimed the former of the two to be the better because he has more Ballon d'Or awards.

The former Barcelona star has eight of these individual honors, three more than his Portuguese rival. Speaking to L’Equipe in July this year, Di Maria said (via FanzWord):

"The matter is settled because the best is the one who has the largest number of Ballon d'Or, and Leo has eight compared to Ronaldo's five."

Di Maria shared the pitch with Ronaldo at Real Madrid, where the pair played together in 166 matches across competitions, bagging 28 joint goal contributions. Meanwhile, he's played alongside Messi on 141 occasions across competitions for club and country, managing 16 joint goal contributions.