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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Angel Di Maria believes his club team-mate and Argentina captain Lionel Messi is the best player he has ever played with.
The 34-year-old, who has been linked with a summer move to Juventus and Barcelona, has played with some of the greatest players of his generation. During spells at Real Madrid, Manchester United and PSG, he has played alongside the likes of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar.
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Speaking to TyC Sports [via Goal] in an interview in 2020, Di Maria talked about his experiences.
"It was a dream to have the possibility to play with [Wayne] Rooney, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Leo [Messi]. They were players that I used on the PlayStation and I would never have imagined I'd get to play with them. I used to watch them and then to have the opportunity to play with them was really nice."
He continued:
"Leo is the best of the four, Cristiano is a monster and Neymar is simply a joy for football. He's Brazilian and when he plays all he does is have fun. Ibrahimovic is crazy, a total character. On the pitch, he might seem like a bad guy but he is awesome, a really good guy. I got along with him very well when he was here."
He further added:
"Rooney is a quiet guy. I never thought he would be as strong as he is. With all the great players I have played with, it's hard to choose. But if I had to pick one, it would be Leo.”
Di Maria has won one La Liga title, five Ligue 1 titles, two Copa del Rey trophies and one UEFA Champions League crown during a storied club career. He famously scored the winner in the 2021 Copa America final against Brazil.
Di Maria's former teammates Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry is one for the ages
Ronaldo vs Messi remains an eternal debate for football aficionados.
The pair dominated the scoring charts in La Liga for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018 while playing for fierce rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid. During that period, Ronaldo guided Los Blancos to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles (and another one in 2014), while the 34-year-old Argentine maestro led the Blaugrana to two European crowns in 2011 and 2015.
Messi currently plies his trade for Ligue 1 champions PSG while the Portuguese star plays for Premier League club Manchester United.
