Legendary midfielder Deco chose neither Messi nor Ronaldo as his best player.
Recently, when asked in an interview whether Messi or Ronaldo was better, Deco had a completely different answer. The former midfielder said: “I played with Messi in his early days and Cristiano in his early days. If I had to choose, I would choose Ronaldinho. Of all the players I played with, Ronaldinho was the best. He had great technique, it was amazing! He always did things differently.”
However, Deco did not spare praise for the other two stars when praising both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. ” The most complete player I have ever played with is Messi,” he said. “What impressed me most about Cristiano is that he always wants to learn. When he first started, he didn’t even know how to foul the opponent.”

During his career at the top level, Deco was one of the lucky few to have played alongside both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. At Barcelona, Deco played alongside Messi in the early years of the Argentine star’s career. At that time, Messi was just a young talent who had just been promoted to the first team, but Deco soon recognized his younger brother’s extraordinary potential with his skillful technique, natural dribbling ability and confidence beyond his years.
While playing for Portugal, Deco had the opportunity to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Unlike Messi, Ronaldo at that time was a player full of desire to improve himself, always training hard and constantly learning.

The decade-long rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has now come to an end as both superstars have entered the twilight of their careers. Messi has moved to the United States to play for Inter Miami, while Ronaldo is playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr. Although still performing at a high level, both are no longer at their peak. The race for individual titles, the Ballon d’Or, or the Champions League between them has almost come to an end, leaving behind a glorious era that may not be repeated in football history.