A former teammate of Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's has praised the Portuguese but insisted his biggest rival Lionel Messi is from another planet.
Click through the gallery above to see eight players who have played with both Messi and Ronaldo.
Angel Di Maria is one of just a few footballers who have played alongside both Ronaldo and Messi – the Argentine starred next to Ronaldo during his time at Real, and features with Messi in their national team.
Having trained and played alongside both, Di Maria believes Messi is a level above the Los Blancos superstar.
"Cristiano is an excellent player. Being around at the same time as Messi has made it much more difficult for him," Di Maria told TyC's Libero show, as cited by AS.
"There are no words to describe Leo. He will always surprise you. One year on and Messi is the best, another year goes by and he's still the best; he's a player from another planet – an extraterrestrial."
Read: Messi: Why It's Difficult For Ronaldo And I To Be Friends
Di Maria himself has started the new year superbly, scoring nine goals and assisting another eight strikes in just 10 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.
Do you agree with Di Maria that Messi is a level above Ronaldo? Have your say in the comments section below.
