Puyol: Ronaldo an all-time great, but Messi better
Carles Puyol has nothing but respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, but prefers former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi over the Real Madrid manBarcelona vs Deportivo La Coruña: LaLiga
Barcelona legend Carles Puyol feels Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players the game has ever seen, but believes his former team-mate Lionel Messi is even better than the Portugal captain.
Messi and Ronaldo dominate Ballon d'Or
Messi and Ronaldo have won nine Ballon d'Or trophies between them, Kaka the last player to win the prestigious individual award in 2007 before their duopoly began, and are widely regarded as two all-time greats.
There has been plenty of debate as to who is the superior player and Puyol has now had his say on the matter.
"Ronaldo is one of the best players in the history of the game but Messi is better," Puyol told reporters.
"The competitiveness and rivalry between them is very intense and I think that has helped to improve them both because neither man relaxes.
Puyol: Messi has given me so much happiness
Puyol, who captained Barcelona for ten seasons after assuming the armband in 2004, continued: "For me, Messi is the best. I have played with him and he has given me so much happiness. He is always improving and has been consistent for 10 years.
"I actually think that he gets better with every season and that is because of the passion he has.
"I hope that he wins something with his country. That would mean that aside from winning with his club, he will have won everything with everyone."
Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona continues to be uncertain. The Argentine's current contract will expire in June 2018, and he has yet to sign an extension.