Di Maria surprisingly admits Ronaldo is superior to Messi

Angel Di Maria draws focus when comparing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, stating that CR7 surpasses in professionalism, yet Messi is the GOAT because of his “innate gift.”

Angel Di Maria acknowledges that Cristiano Ronaldo outshines Lionel Messi in terms of professionalism, but the Argentine star insists Messi is the GOAT thanks to a “special gift from God” that makes him the best player.

In an interview with AS, Di Maria, who played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2014, openly shared his thoughts on the differences between the two greatest contemporary football stars.

When asked if playing alongside Ronaldo left a mark on him, Di Maria said: “Absolutely. In terms of professionalism, Ronaldo is number one, far ahead of everyone else. The way he works, maintains his form, and constantly strives to be the best in competition with Leo Messi is truly admirable. But he coincided with Messi’s era, which made the goal much harder to achieve.”

Although Ronaldo has 5 Ballon d’Or titles, he is still surpassed by Messi with 8 prestigious individual awards. However, Di Maria always ranks his teammate from the Argentine national team as the greatest in history.

He emphasized: “Ronaldo embodies hard work and the desire to be at the top. But Messi is different. He can be drinking mate in the locker room and then step onto the pitch to show he was blessed by God with the gift to be the best.”

Previously, legend Cesar Luis Menotti said Di Maria deserved to be ranked alongside Messi and Diego Maradona among Argentina’s greatest players. However, the 1988-born midfielder remained humble: “I’m very grateful for that compliment, but I’m not on their level. Messi and Maradona belong to another world. It’s a beautiful encouragement, but I know I’m still far from those two legends.”

At 37 years old, Di Maria has returned to wear the Rosario Central jersey, his childhood club, and continues to closely follow the journeys of his former teams. Regarding Real Madrid, he considers Kylian Mbappe the current top star in the world: “Kylian Mbappe has been among the world’s best for many years. Team titles influence individual awards, but every day he proves his class. Right now, Mbappe is the best. Once he finds the right playing style, he truly changes the course of the game.”

Di Maria also spoke about his decision to retire from the national team after 2024: “It’s not that I don’t want to continue, but I feel I have completed a cycle. I have achieved everything I wanted. The younger generation is rising, and it’s time to give way. After the World Cup in Qatar, I planned to stop, but my teammates convinced me to play the Copa America. Ending with a championship was a dream finish. Now it’s someone else’s turn.”

The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Di Maria will watch the tournament as a spectator, as the world championship title he won with Argentina in 2022 will be officially defended.