Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Ex-Real Madrid Chief Jorge Valdano rates the better striker

Former Real Madrid Chief Jorge Valdano has made his choice between two of the greatest strikers of this generation - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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It is perhaps one of football's most significant debates of all time. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi - who is the better footballer remains a question that continues to grip football fans worldwide. While fans will keep a close eye on two of the greatest footballers of all time in a World Cup year, former Real Madrid chief Jorge Valdano has made a pick between the two legendary strikers.

This summer, the Manchester United icon's future at Old Trafford remains a bone of contention, as the Portuguese striker wants to leave the club for a shot at Champions League football. At the same time, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker will hope to make an impact in his second season at the Ligue 1 champion's campaign, even as his former club Barcelona considers a possible comeback next year.

Former Real Madrid Chief Jorge Valdano has now explained that although Argentine superstar Messi is his compatriot, he believes Portuguese icon Ronaldo has more merit because of the work it has taken him to leave a legacy in world football.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon. He looks like a downgrade compared to Messi, who I define as a genius, but be careful because sometimes a phenomenon has more merits than a genius," Valdano told TyC Sports.

"The genius is born, and the phenomenon is developed. Cristiano has even built himself a new body, he has a lot of merit for what he has done, and he has taken several Ballon d'Or awards away from the genius," the former Argentine player added.

37-year-old Ronaldo is eager to leave Manchester United and join a team participating in the Champions League, so the former Argentina international ruled out the possibility of the Portuguese returning to Real Madrid. "Cristiano at Real Madrid is a closed case, that's it. Florentino [Perez, president of Real Madrid] under no circumstance would retrace his steps, but what Ronaldo did at Real Madrid puts him among the greatest in the history of the club, and I think that's enough," he said.