“His mindset is totally incredible” - When ex-PSG forward claimed Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi
Former PSG midfielder Pablo Sarabia once said that Cristiano Ronaldo's mindset sets him apart from everyone else, including Lionel Messi. Sarabia played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Messi at PSG.
Sarabia, now at Wolverhampton Wanderers, bagged four goals and seven assists in 30 games in the Premier League as Wolves finished 14th. Having played with Ronaldo at Los Blancos in the early 2000s and with Messi at PSG in the last two seasons, he has seen both superstars from close quarters.
One of a handful of players to have played with both Messi and Ronaldo, Sarabia told talkSPORT in 2023 why the latter is better:
"It's amazing because it's a dream to play with these players. (Messi or Ronaldo) is a very difficult question. For me, Ronaldo is the best player in the world. It's Cristiano, because his mindset is totally incredible."
"I learned a lot because when you're training with these (level of) teammates, it's incredible. The goals, the assists, it's very important to try to learn in this moment and in training every day."
He concluded about Ronaldo:
"Physically, he is incredible because it seems that every day he is striving to be the best. That is an incredible quality. One that has led him to where he is now. Without that characteristic, (Ronaldo) would not be there for sure."
How Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have fared this season?
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the best players to have graced the beautiful game. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, both are still going strong and shown little signs of stopping anytime soon.
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in December 2022, is having a fabulous season. In 42 games across competitions, he has bagged 42 goals and 13 assists. Most of those goal contributions - 33 goals and 11 assists in 29 games - have come in the Saudi Pro League, where Al-Alami are set to finish behind champions Al-Hilal.
Messi, meanwhile, has had an injury-plagued start to the season but has still bagged 12 goals and 11 assists in 13 games across competitions. The Herons are top of the MLS Eastern Conference after 15 games.