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Oct 13, 2026, 6:08 PM GMT+1
Matthew Guyett is a journalist for GiveMeSport, covering news and features primarily focused on the Premier League and European football.
He graduated from the University of Essex in 2022 with a Creative Writing degree before joining GiveMeSport as a freelancer in August 2024.
Matthew began his writing career with Sportskeeda in 2022, working for their European football team for nearly three years, where he covered news, transfers, match reports, and fan reactions. He became one of their most widely read writers, and his work has garnered over 25 million reads, including a viral story that garnered 724,000 reads.
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Angel Di Maria risked the wrath of Cristiano Ronaldo by refuting his former Real Madrid teammate's claim that he's the best in the world and asserting that Lionel Messi is the 'best in history'.
Ronaldo set tongues wagging last year when he insisted he was the 'most complete player' ever to exist. The 41-year-old has long been wreaking havoc in world football, becoming the greatest goalscorer in club and international football history.
It's the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's goalscoring potency which is often used against him in discussions over Messi being the superior player.
Many argue that the Real Madrid legend isn't as well-rounded as his long-term rival because the latter can create magic out of nothing and is more technically gifted.
The usual suggestion is that Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's ability was naturally handed to him as if the footballing Gods touched him, while Portugal's 2016 European Champion's abilities were manufactured through hard work.
Di Maria is perhaps one of the best footballing individuals to approach regarding the never-ending Ronaldo-Messi debate because he's played alongside both legendary forwards.
He spent his entire international career with Argentina, helping Messi cut defences open and reach footballing nirvana by winning the World Cup in Qatar, along with two Copa America triumphs. They also shared a season at PSG, although he was on reduced game time because of the struggle to fit in superstars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Yet, the 38-year-old winger starred alongside Ronaldo at Madrid for four years and built a strong rapport with Los Blancos' all-time top scorer. The attacking pair took six major trophies together at the Bernabeu, including the UEFA Champions League and the La Liga title.
Di Maria took this into account when giving a response to the Manchester United legend's comments (via Argentine outlet Infobae):
"I'm not surprised (by his comments). I was with him for four years. It was always like that. He always made those statements, he always tried to be the best, but well, he was born in a generation, just at a bad time, because another one was born who was touched by the magic wand.
"The reality is shown in numbers. One has eight Ballon d'Ors, the other five. There is a very big difference. Being a world champion is another very big difference, having two Copa Americas. There are many differences, many."
The former Paris Saint-Germain star also delved into what sets Messi apart from Ronaldo by what he can produce on a football pitch. He seemed to suggest that there's more unpredictability in the Barcelona icon's game and was adamant that there's never been a better player to grace the sport:
"And then you see him in the games, you see it in every minute of every game, that one plays as if he were in the backyard. He hits the same goal as always and he keeps doing it. And he's been doing it for 18, 20 years. 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 he’ll still be doing tiki-taka, tiki-taka.
"That’s how it is. But, well, Cris is like that too. He always made statements that way. It was always the same. For me, Leo is the best in the world and the best in history, without a doubt."
| Angel Di Maria With Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi |
||
|---|---|---|
| Angel Di Maria Teammate |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Lionel Messi |
| Matches |
166 |
142 |
| Minutes Played Together |
10, 546 |
8,662 |
| Goals Assisted For |
25 |
9 |
| Goals Assisted By |
3 |
7 |
| Wins |
431 |
283 |
| Defeats |
151 |
131 |
Messi hasn't commented on Ronaldo's claim, but he's not felt the need to get involved in such debates since winning the World Cup in the winter of 2022. The Inter Miami star is rolling back the years in the MLS at 39 and wasn't too fussed to pick up his eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 once he'd become a world champion.
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