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The Chilean midfielder played alongside the iconic Argentine at Camp Nou and has him edging out a Portuguese great on any talent chart.
 
Arturo Vidal says “there is no comparison between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo”, with the former Barcelona midfielder considering an Argentine icon at Camp to be “from another planet”.

Debate as to which of the modern-day legends can be considered the best continues to rage.

That argument has run for well over a decade now, with Messi and Ronaldo sharing 11 Ballons d’Or between them.

Both have rewritten the history books on a regular basis, with their respective CVs including countless records and pieces of major silverware.

For some, Ronaldo’s work ethic and transformation from tricky winger to prolific frontman marks him out as the finest player of this or any other generation.

Messi, though, boasts God-given ability and has delivered moments of magic down the years that have his supporters refusing to acknowledge that anyone even gets close to the heights he has scaled.

Vidal falls into the latter of those two camps, with the Chile international having witnessed at close quarters just how good a fellow South American is.

For him there is only one logical choice, with the 33-year-old telling Corriere dello Sport: "There is no comparison between Messi and Ronaldo. Leo is from another planet.

"Of the two years I spent with him, many things have remained in my heart.  A beautiful friendship was born between us, a relationship that will remain forever. United for life."

Vidal parted company with Messi and Barcelona as he returned to Italy with Inter.