Picture Credit: Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been two big names in the football world. They both enjoy a big number of fan following and have been in and out of the news for their heroics on the field. There have been a number of times that they have been compared to each other, many also debate about which of the two are better, often comparing the sides they play for.

Cristiano Ronaldo has named the two greatest ever players behind him - but neither of them are Lionel Messi. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner discussed the two players he considers the greatest to play the game but there was no place for Messi. However, he considered himself to be the greatest of all times (GOAT)

Messi is the only player to have won more Ballon d'Or titles than Ronaldo, having picked up his record seventh award in November. However, the Manchester United forward instead sung the praises of Brazilian duo Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario in an interview with ESPN Brasil.

Ronaldo named the World Cup winners as his idols and joked how he has won more trophies than them both during his career. When asked which of the two was better, the Portugal captain said: "I don’t like comparisons. I prefer to say that the two [Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho] left their legacy, their history. He jokingly added, "I can say, by facts, that I won more individual titles than they did, but both won World Cups."

Speaking on comparison between both the players, Ronaldo was of the opinion that he grew up watching both the players and to compare who is first or second was not as important. Further Cristiano Ronaldo mentioned that both his idols, Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho left a beautiful history in football.