There is no single debate in modern football that is more tribalist or sums up the generation than the question, 'who is better Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?' Francesco Totti gave his answer.
The two five-time Ballon d'Or winners are universally compared and you simply can't say one's name in a sentence without mentioning the other.
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The legendary Francesco Totti weighed in with his thoughts on who has the edge out of the two titans, but he doesn't want Ronaldo to find out.
"I really preferred the football of a long time ago. Today it is just crazy," Totti said at the Dubai International Sports Conference, as quoted by Four Four Two.
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"Football has deeply changed between my time and now. I prefer the romantic football of before, now it is all about business.
"There are players like Ronaldo and Neymar, but Neymar is an example of this big price, it is too much to pay €250 million for a player. This goes beyond reality.
"But Messi is number one, just don't tell Cristiano!"
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Totti is one of a number of greats who is 'Team Messi' rather than 'Team Ronaldo', taking the same stance that Eden Hazard has when he was quizzed earlier this week.
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"Of course, when you are playing football you want to play against the best," Hazard said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
"The best team, the best players in the world. Messi is the best player in the world.
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"In the last 15 years, there hasn't been a team like Barca and there also hasn't been a player like Messi."
Chelsea have been paired with Barcelona in the Champions League once again in what is a very difficult task. Messi will be looking to make his mark on the tie, with added desire due to the fact he has never scored against the Blues whenever he has played against them.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Clasico, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Francesco Totti