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Published 13:27 IST, April 13th 2020

Nemanja Matic gives his verdict on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has tipped Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest footballers ever but could not choose between the pair.

Reported by: Arnold Dsouza
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Man United midfielder Nemanja Matic has weighed in on the long-standing Messi vs Ronaldo debate. Despite claiming that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are possibly the best footballers to ever grace the sport, Nemanja Matic could not choose between the pair. However, Matic revealed that his son would pick former Man United star, Cristiano Ronaldo, over Barcelona mainstay Lionel Messi.

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Messi vs Ronaldo debate: 11 Ballon d'Or awards shared

For the best part of 15 years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have battled to be regarded as the best footballer in the modern game. In the past 12 years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the Ballon d'Or on 11 occasions over the past 12 seasons. Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or on six occasions while Cristiano Ronaldo has five of the prestigious awards to his name.

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Nemanja Matic has his say on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate:

The 31-year-old Nemanja Matic revealed that he cannot choose between Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo over who is the best player. While speaking to Omnisport, Nemanja Matic stated that Cristiano Ronaldo worked extremely hard on his talent to become successful. The Serbian then admitted that Lionel Messi is gifted, but also admitted that the Barcelona captain works hard. Although Nemanja Matic could not pick one over the other, the Serbian explained maintaining that level of success for 15 years puts them in the category of the best players in the history of the sport.

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Messi vs Ronaldo debate: Nemanja Matic son adores Ronaldo

Nemanja Matic further added that his son would pick Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo over Messi. In September last year, Nemanja Matic introduced his son Filip to Cristiano Ronaldo after a Euro 2020 qualifying game between Serbia and Portugal. The game ended 4-2 in favour of the defending champions but Filip was still glad to meet his idol and receive Ronaldo's match-worn shirt. 

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13:27 IST, April 13th 2020