Cristiano Ronaldo Slammed by Dani Alves, Barcelona's Lionel Messi 'Much Better'

Barcelona full-back Dani Alves has claimed Lionel Messi is "much better" than Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, a player he suggests doesn't see "what really matters" on the football pitch: teamwork.

Alves is known for his flamboyant, honest nature. He spoke to ESPN (h/t Marca) about the age-old comparison between his team-mate and Ronaldo:

"

Messi is much better than Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi influences the game, Cristiano doesn't. He doesn't influence the game beyond scoring goals and being involved in a few actions. Messi is influential—he plays, scores and makes assists. Messi has a divine gift, Cristiano is about work.

I don't admire the things he does because I play as part of a team. And my team is more important than I am. I don’t think he sees what really matters, which is the group.

"

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The Brazilian defender pinpointed the part of Ronaldo's game detractors use against him. His overall influence across 90 minutes has waned over the last two seasons, so it's more likely Ronaldo will remain quiet in a match before scoring.

Messi is far more involved in play, perhaps because he drifts into the centre from the flank. Ronaldo, meanwhile, tends to remain on the left and rarely features when he isn't set up with simple chances.

CR7 is prone to strops and seemingly has a belief that his colleagues should avidly look to help him improve his goal total, as highlighted when Gareth Bale took advantage of a missed Ronaldo opportunity last season:

Ronaldo is the more physical beast, a finely tuned athlete who sculpted his body to maximise his potential. He has worked tremendously hard over the years, honing his skills with Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United and Los Blancos to put himself in the "all-time great" bracket. Success has come far more naturally for Messi.

Neymar agrees with Alves, his team-mate for both Barca and Brazil, recently telling Sport, "Everyone we were with during the whole year and our fans know that Leo is the best, he is No.1."

Messi scored 53 goals and provided 23 assists in 51 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League last season, per WhoScored.com. Ronaldo netted 58 and set up 19 in 47 displays in the same competitions. Both sets of numbers blow the rest of football's top stars away.

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Alves would never come out and say Ronaldo is the better player, even if he believed it. As highlighted by Neymar, Barca players often offer public support to Messi, who has lost out on the last two Ballon d'Or awards to his rival in Madrid.

Ronaldo certainly has more questions to answer next season. New Real boss Rafa Benitez is reportedly considering pushing him into a central striker's role, so we could see him link with play more often. Whatever happens, the debate over who is the better player will rage on without a definitive answer.