'Ronaldo is not at Messi's level', says David Beckham
Manchester United legend David Beckham believes Cristiano Ronaldo is not at par with Barcelona's Lionel Messi. According to him, the duo has reached the pinnacle, but Messi is still a cut above the rest. Both Ronaldo and Messi share 11 of the last 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them. In 2019, Messi laid hands to his sixth Golden Ball.
Impossible to get another player like Mess: Beckham
"He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another player like him. Messi, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest," Beckham told Telam.
Achievements of Lionel Messi
Messi has slammed a total number of 627 goals in 718 matches for Barcelona. He has also bagged a record 34 trophies representing the club. In October 2019, he grabbed his sixth European Golden Shoe award. Later that year, Messi became the first player to score against 34 different teams in UEFA Champions League. He was adjudged The Best FIFA Men's Player in 2019.
Achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo netted 118 times in 292 matches for Manchester United, while his golden period came at Real Madrid (450 goals in 438 matches). For Juventus, he has scored 53 goals in 75 games. The Portuguese has won 27 trophies at club level. Besides grabbing five Ballon d'Ors, Ronaldo has been awarded The Best FIFA Men's Players twice. He has won four European Golden Shoes.
When Messi single-handedly changed the course of match
Beckham narrated an anecdote from the 2013 Champions League when Paris Saint-Germain took on Barcelona. "We were leading before Messi arrived and scored for Barcelona. Although I enjoyed playing at that level, I do not like to lose," he said. "Our team played well. In both matches, we did things we should be proud of. We didn't lose against Barcelona," he added.