Cristiano Ronaldo rates Lionel Messi as the 'Best player he has ever faced'

Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken about his rivalry with Lionel Messi. In his Daily Mail piece, British journalist Piers Morgan revealed what Ronaldo thinks of Messi. Morgan claimed that when he met with Ronaldo in Italy while still playing for Juventus, he grilled the footballer about his feelings toward Messi. Morgan claims he asked Ronaldo who is the best player he's ever faced and the 36-year-old stated without any hesitation that it was Lionel Messi. 

According to Morgan, Ronaldo thinks Messi is a terrific player and one of the best of his generation. One of the reasons Ronaldo admires Messi is that he has never encountered somebody with the same amount of confidence as him. Morgan went on to say that the Portuguese star joked afterwards that the question he had asked initially was incorrect and that he should have asked who is the greatest player instead.

Ronaldo's historic return to Manchester United

Ronaldo recently made a return to his former English Premier Club Manchester United after leaving the side more than a decade ago to join Spanish giants Real Madrid. At the time of his transfer to Real Madrid, Ronaldo scripted history by becoming the most expensive buy in the history of the sport. Ronaldo has been signed by Manchester United on a two-year contract, which may be further revised given his future plans and performance at the club. The last time when Ronaldo played in England for the United, he made 196 appearances and scored 84 goals, including one hat-trick. 

Ronaldo is expected to make his second debut for the club on September 11, Saturday when Manchester United will lock horns against Newcastle United. The tickets for the match are being sold up to £2,514 for lower-tier stands, prompting the club to issue a statement urging fans to buy tickets from authenticated sources only. 

Image: AP