Lionel Messi snubbed as ex-Barcelona midfielder claims Cristiano Ronaldo is the 'best' he's played with

Miralem Pjanic, the former teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, has given his take on the age-old Messi vs Ronaldo debate.

The 33-year-old midfielder, who currently plays in the Middle East for UAE Pro League for Sharjah FC, has shared the dressing room with both players during spells at Barcelona and Juventus.

Ronaldo, who lifted two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana trophies and a Coppa Italia during his trophy-laden three year spell in Turin, played regularly alongside Pjanic.

The Bosnia & Herzegovina international would later join Barcelona in 2020 for a reported €60 million [£52m] and, although his time at the Camp Nou was far from memorable, he still got to play alongside one of the all-time greats.

That being said, Pjanic believes Ronaldo is the best he's ever played with.

"I talk a lot with Cristiano Ronaldo. I have many memories with him, he is a great footballer. He's the best I've ever played with. He is among the two, three strongest players in history," he told O Jogo.

A hesitant Pjanic would then track back on his previous statement, but agreed that he had "more fun" playing with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward.

"I was lucky enough to play with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and it's hard to say who is stronger," he added. "However, I had more fun with Ronaldo than Messi.”

On the topic of Ronaldo and Messi, Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has played with and against both men, but one stands out amongst the rest.

For six years, Modric played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu, where they won numerous trophies together.

In fact, earlier this year, the Croatian named Ronaldo as the best he's ever played alongside.

"The most special thing about Cristiano Ronaldo? His work ethic," Modric said in an interview with YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.

"He always wants more and more. He's never happy with what he does. This is amazing. The demand he put on himself and the team was unbelievable."

Modric added: "I think everyone will agree that Cristiano was one of the best, if not the best player for Real Madrid.

Image credit: Getty

"In terms of scoring goals, titles, individual records, team trophies, he was so influential. He was a leader on and off the pitch. It was such a pleasure to play with him all these years and to win so many trophies together."

It's clear to see Modric is a big fan of his ex-teammate, who has five Ballon d'Ors to his name.

But the former Dinamo Zagreb and Spurs midfielder has previously named Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time.

Shortly after Croatia were beaten by Argentina in the semi-final of last winter's World Cup, the humble Modric opened up about his opponent before backing him to win the tournament.

He said: "I hope he will win this World Cup, he is the best player in history and he deserves it. He is playing a great World Cup, he shows quality and greatness in every game."

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