Through an interview, Angel Di Maria has great respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, however he believes that Lionel Messi has received divine favor and become a top superstar.
The Ronaldo vs Messi debate has been going on for over a decade.
Ángel Di María, one of the greats of Argentine football, spoke frankly about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in an exclusive interview with Infobae. When asked about Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement that he is the greatest player in football history, Di María was not surprised. The Argentine star spent four years alongside CR7 at Real Madrid (2010-2014) – the team currently leading La Liga. Therefore, Di María understands very well the personality and desire to conquer of the Portuguese superstar.
Di María admits that Ronaldo has always had great ambitions, constantly striving to become the best player. However, according to him, Ronaldo was born at a time when world football already had a more special character – Lionel Messi.
“He’s always been the one with such statements, always trying to be number one. But unfortunately, he was born into an unfavorable generation, because there was already someone else who was blessed by the gods.”
Di María does not deny Ronaldo’s talent, but he insists that the facts are proven by the numbers. According to him, Messi is simply superior when it comes to individual and collective titles.
“One has eight Ballons d’Or, the other has five. That’s a huge difference. Messi is a world champion, has two Copa America titles. The numbers speak for themselves.”
Not just stopping at numbers, Di María emphasized that what makes Messi great is the natural, magical way he plays football. The Argentine midfielder described Messi’s ability to maintain his level for nearly two decades as extraordinary, despite everyone knowing his style of play.
“Everyone knows what Messi is going to do, but no one can stop him. He has been doing it for 18-20 years and is still doing it when he is almost 40. People say, ‘we know what Messi is going to do,’ but then what? Try to stop him!”
With what he has witnessed, Di María does not hesitate to affirm that Messi is the best player in the world and the greatest in the history of football. He also reiterated that Ronaldo’s statements did not surprise him, because that is the nature of CR7, a player who is always confident in his abilities.
“Cristiano has always been like that, always making strong statements. But for me, Leo is the best player in the world and the greatest in history, there is no doubt.”
In addition to the story of Messi and Ronaldo, Di María also shared about his career, especially his affection for Benfica, the place that gave wings to his European career. Although he has played for many big teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus, Benfica always has a special place in his heart.
At 36, Di María is still at his peak and continues to make his mark at Benfica. He once turned down a huge offer from Arab clubs to return to the team he considers his “second home”.
“I received offers for huge sums of money, I had never seen such numbers on a piece of paper. But my family and I decided: No, we will return to Lisbon, to Benfica.”
He also recalled his journey in Argentina’s colours, from the years of heavy criticism to being celebrated for his decisive goals in the 2021 Copa America final, 2022 Finalissima and 2022 World Cup. Those were the moments that helped him get the recognition he deserved.
With all that he has been through, Di María is not only a witness to the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, but also a great player of Argentine football. His words once again affirm Messi’s unique position in football history, at the same time showing respect for Ronaldo – a rival and also a respected former teammate.
