SOCCER
“If Lionel Messi had Cristiano Ronaldo’s work ethic, he would now have 15 Ballon d’Ors”
Ronaldo’s former Manchester United teammate Patrice Evra explains why he sees the Portuguese as a superior player to PSG star Messi.
The Champions League game against Bayern Munich will certainly not go down as one of Lionel Messi’s best nights on a soccer field, with the Argentina captain struggling to get involved in the match in Germany as Paris Saint-Germain crashed out of the competition. In the aftermath of the game, former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra explained why he thought his ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo was the superior player.
Messi’s “God given talent”
“I want to explain why I say Ronaldo every time. It’s not just because he’s my brother. It’s because I’m in love with (his) work ethic. God just gave Messi a talent, while Cristiano had to work for it. Even if he had the talent, but he had to work for it. I think if Messi had the same work ethic as Cristiano, Messi would probably have 15 Ballon d’Ors today. I’m just in love with people working hard. That’s why I pick Cristiano”, said Evra on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel.
Messi may not quite have won the Ballon d’Or on 15 occasions, but his seven awards are more than any other player, followed by Ronaldo on five. After Argentina’s World Cup victory, the PSG star could win it for an eighth time this coming year although it looks as if Ronaldo, now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is unlikely to ever add to his haul.
Evra and Ronaldo’s success at Manchester United
Evra and Ronaldo were teammates at Old Trafford for three-and-a-half years. In that time, they won three Premier League titles, one Champions League, two League Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup together.