Former Manchester United player Patrice Evra believes Lionel Messi would have won 15 Ballons d’Or if his work ethic was similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The French defender was teammates with Ronaldo between 2006 and 2009 winning three Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.
The age long debate over which of the two players is superior has seen Evra always side with the Portuguese star but now the former United left-back has given his opinion on what separates the two.
“I want to explain why I say Ronaldo every time. It’s not because he’s our brother, it’s because I’m in love with work ethic,” Evra told Rio Ferdinand’s Five YouTube channel.
“I feel like [with] Messi, God just gave him a talent and Cristiano had to work for it. He had the talent but he had to work for it.
“If Messi had the same work ethic as Cristiano Ronaldo, he would probably have like 15 Ballons d’Or today.
“I’m just in love with people working hard so that’s why I pick Ronaldo over Messi.”
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Evra also confirmed what other former teammates have said about the Portugal international.
Ronaldo is famed for his living lifestyle consisting of healthy foods to help fuel his performances while staying in good shape. And that means if you visit him for lunch, there are only healthy options available.
Evra explained: “You are going to have one of the most boring lunches at Cristiano’s – it is salad, plain chicken and water. There isn’t even fizzy water
“After that, we went into the garden, trained for a little bit, went swimming, went to the sauna and at one point I looked at him and said: ‘Bro, we have just finished a training session, why do we have to have a second training session?”
