If Messi had the work ethic of Ronaldo, he’d have 15 Ballon d’Ors, says Evra

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it’s an endless debate about who is the best footballer in history. While the Argentine got his talent from God, the Portuguese earned everything through hard work. And that’s what Patrice Evra admires about him.

Both are absolute phenoms and without much doubt the two best footballers in the history of the sport. But who is that bit better? Fans can’t agree on that, with the Portuguese favouring Ronaldo and the Messi fans favouring the Argentine.

Each has paved his way to the top in a different way. While Messi was given a gift from God and his talent is unmatched, no one can work as hard as Ronaldo. The way the Madeira native has subordinated his life to hard work is breathtaking.

On Wednesday, when Lionel Messi crashed out to PSG for the second consecutive time in the Champions League eighth-finals, Patrice Evra gave his opinion on why he believes Ronaldo is the better player. “I want to explain why I think Cristiano is the best player of all time,” Evra began on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel.

“It’s not just because he’s like my brother, but because I love his work ethic. God gave Messi the talent, while Cristiano had to earn it. He has talent too, but he worked so hard for it. If Messi had Ronaldo’s work ethic, he would probably have 15 Ballon d’Or today,” Evra said.

“I have a great admiration for people who work hard and that’s why Ronaldo is ahead of Messi for me,” explained the former Manchester United left-back.

Evra has told plenty of stories about Ronaldo’s hard work in the past. For example, he mentioned that when they played together in Manchester and he invited the French midfielder for lunch, it ended up being an afternoon of training.

At the same time, according to all his teammates, he was the first one in the booth; the Sporting Director of Sporting Lisbon, for example, caught him on a treadmill at midnight before a game when he was 18. It is this never-ending hard work that has taken him to the top.

Source: Youtube – Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra