Former Brazil superstar Kaka feels Lionel Messi’s talent makes him better than rival Cristiano Ronaldo as he weighed in on the never-ending debate over who is the best footballer in the present era.
Kaka was the last player not named Messi or Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or in 2007 before the trophy was shared between the two modern greats for 12 years. The Argentine and Portuguese stars have dominated world football for more than a decade now, with Luka Modric’s win in 2018 breaking the duopoly over the coveted individual honour.
Kaka spent four seasons alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid from 2007-’11 but considered Messi as the better player.
“I played with Cristiano and he’s really amazing, but I’ll go with Messi,” Kaka said during a live question and answer session on Fifa’s channel. “He’s a genius, a pure talent. The way he plays is incredible.”
However, he also praised the current Juventus forward for his winning mentality.
Kaka said: “Cristiano is a machine. It’s not just the way he’s strong, powerful and fast; he’s strong mentally. He always wants to win and play. To be the best. For me, that’s the most incredible thing he has. In the history of sport, they [Messi and Cristiano] are definitely in the top five. We are very lucky to have been able to see both of them.”
The former AC Milan ace also picked former Inter Milan and FC Barcelona striker Ronaldo Nazario as the best Brazilian he has played with while naming Ronaldinho as his second choice.
“I played alongside some greats in my career, but Ronaldo was the best,” Kaka said.
“After that, I’d say Ronaldinho, who I was able to play against many times, both at Milan and Real Madrid.”