"We are talking about light years of comparison" - Ex-Al-Hilal coach emphatically settles Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate
Former Al-Hilal coach Emiliano Diaz has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo is far behind Lionel Messi in terms of quality as a footballer.
Comparing the two players, Diaz told TyC Sports (via GOAL):
"No, in no way, not as a footballer. There is no comparison. We have faced him less than three months ago and I went to see Leo at the World Cup. We are talking about light years of comparison. There is no comparison but the numbers support him, he is an animal. But at the level of quality of Leo there is no comparison."
Diaz also addressed Ronaldo's first few months in the Saudi Pro League, while playing for Al Nassr.
He said:
"He had a hard time. With the big clubs he made no difference. He scored three or four goals for the small clubs and I saw that they were talking about him here. He lost the Kings Cup, he lost the Super Cup and the tournament. In Asia he is not going to compete."
Ronaldo has registered 14 goals and two assists in 19 games for Al Nassr.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both etched their names in the history books
Between them, Ronaldo and Messi have won 12 Ballons d'Or. They have won a total of nine UEFA Champions League trophies, 17 league titles among other silverware.
On the international stage, Ronaldo has won the Euro and the Nations League with Messi conquering Copa America and the FIFA World Cup.
Both players have dominated the game for years on end, making it a duopoly at the top for the majority of the last decade.
Ronaldo has registered 837 goals and 268 assists in 1133 games for club and country. Messi has scored 806 goals and laid down 394 assists in 1027 games for club and country.
The two athletes have surpassed most goal-scoring records across Europe and will go down in the game as two of the greatest footballers due to the longevity of their careers.
At 38 and 36, Ronaldo and Messi may not have too many years left in the sport and fans should ideally relish in their final days instead of arguing about who the better player is.