Sau Paulo, Apr 5 (IANS): Brazilian football great Kaka said that he leans towards Lionel Messi in the debate of who among the Argentine and his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world.
"I played with Cristiano and he's really amazing, but I'll go with Messi," Kaka said when asked who he would pick out of Messi or Ronaldo during an Instagram Live Q&A for FIFA's channel.
"He's a genius, a pure talent. The way he plays is incredible."
The debate has been one of the defining characteristics of world football for over a decade. Between 2008 and 2018, Ronaldo and Messi won the Ballon d'Or award. Kaka was the last player to win the award before the pair started domination. He played with Ronaldo for five years at Real Madrid.
He said the two players are among the greatest of all time in the history of football. "Cristiano is a machine. It's not just the way he's strong, powerful and fast; he's strong mentally," said Kaka.
"He always wants to win and play. To be the best. For me, that's the most incredible thing he has.
"In the history of sport, they [Messi and Cristiano] are definitely in the top five. We are very lucky to have been able to see both of them."