Arsene Wenger Talks Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ballon d'Or 'Selfishness'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rated Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world alongside Lionel Messi, but he has condemned the effect of individual awards in the modern game.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal's north London derby with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, the Frenchman said that he was against awards like the Ballon d'Or as they encourage players to play for themselves rather than the team.

VI-Images/Getty Images

Wenger unsurprisingly cited Barcelona's Messi and Real Madrid's Ronaldo as the best players in the world when quizzed on the topic, per Ben Burrows and Darren Lewis in the Mirror:

"He (Ronaldo) is the best player in the world—with Messi. Messi has a little advantage on assists. But I would go for nobody because it is not my problem at the moment."

Messi is the leading candidate to win this year's Ballon d'Or—to be awarded on Jan. 11—which has been exclusively shared by the Argentine and Ronaldo over the last seven years.

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez is also included on the 23-man shortlist for the prestigious award, per BBC Sport.

But Wenger warned against the problems of getting fixated on winning individual awards, saying he had seen careers ruined in pursuit of them, per the Sunday World's Kevin Palmer:

The Gunners manager has expressed similar views before, stating earlier this year that he would refuse to vote for the Ballon d'Or as he "loves teamwork," per David Hytner in the Guardian.

However, Friday's comments on the matter go further than Wenger's previous condemnation of individual awards, per the Evening Standard's James Olley:

Wenger is currently pursuing a fourth career Premier League title with Arsenal and the Gunners could go top with a victory on Sunday if current leaders Manchester City fail to beat Aston Villa.