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Angel Di Maria countered Cristiano Ronaldo’s claim of being the greatest by highlighting Lionel Messi’s eight Ballons d’Or, World Cup win, and consistent performance over two decades.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Image: Cristiano/Instagram)
Argentina’s World Cup winner, Angel Di Maria, has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent claim of being the greatest footballer of all time. While Ronaldo confidently stated that he is the best in history and that ‘no one is better,’ Di Maria was unsurprised by the statement.
In an interview with InfoBae’s series Mi Seleccion, Di Maria acknowledged Ronaldo’s competitive nature but emphasized that Lionel Messi’s achievements speak for themselves. “I was with him [Ronaldo] for four years. He has always made such statements and strived to be the best. But, unfortunately for him, he was born in an era where another player was touched by the magic wand—Messi,” Di Maria remarked.
Pointing to statistical evidence, Di Maria noted the significant gap between the two footballers. “The reality is in the numbers—one has eight Ballons d’Or, the other five. That’s a huge difference. Being a World Cup winner is another major factor, along with two Copa America titles. There are many differences,” he explained.
Di Maria further praised Messi’s consistency and effortless style of play. “You see it in every minute of every game—he plays as if he’s in his backyard. He keeps scoring the same way he always has and has been doing so for nearly two decades,” he concluded.
Angel Di Maria went on to emphasize his point and claimed that Lionel Messi is the “best in history.” Di Maria said, “How long has he been doing the same thing? And everyone says, ‘but you already know what he’s going to do,’ well, go mark him and he’ll do it anyway and he’ll still be 40 years old and still do tiki-taka, tiki-taka. That’s how it is. But, well, Cristiano is like that too. He always made statements that way. It was always the same. For me, Leo [Messi] is the best in the world and the best in history, without a doubt.”
Angel Di Maria is one of the few players who got a chance to share the dressing room with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Di Maria played at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2014 and during that period he shared the dressing room with Ronaldo. Di Maria left the Spanish giants after the 2014 World Cup and signed for Manchester United.
Angel Di Maria had played with Lionel Messi for Argentina as well as for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Di Maria and Messi were integral members of Argentina’s FIFA World Cup-winning squad in 2022. While Cristiano Ronaldo is currently plying his trade for Al Nassr, Messi has been representing Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Inter Miami.
