Cristiano Ronaldo's former Man United team-mate picks Lionel Messi in GOAT debate... as he claims the Argentine is a more intelligent player

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Former Manchester United and Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi has weighed in to give his opinion on the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi debate.

Messi and Ronaldo are the two standout stars of their generation, winning 13 Ballon d'Ors and numerous titles between them, but it has long been a divisive issue in the game over who is better.

Several big names have sided for one or the other, with the likes of Fabio Capello and Gary Lineker on the Argentine's side, while others such as Roy Keane have backed Ronaldo.

Rossi, 37, enjoyed a distinguished career in the game, playing for the likes of Man United, Villarreal, Celta Vigo, Fiorentina and the Azzurri, with the Italian regularly coming up against both Messi and Ronaldo during his time in LaLiga.

Meanwhile, when he was at Old Trafford between 2004 and 2007, Rossi was also a team-mate of Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo's former team-mate Giuseppe Rossi picked Lionel Messi in the GOAT debate

Messi and Ronaldo are two stars of the game and have won 13 Ballon d'Ors between them

However, Rossi (No 42) snubbed Ronaldo (No 7) and claimed Messi is a more 'cerebral' player

However, despite this, he snubbed the Portuguese superstar when giving his views on the hotly contested debate. 

'They both bring different things to the game,' he told DAZN. 'That’s why it’s so hard to compare them. The positioning is different, the style of play is different. The interpretation of the game is different.

'Ronaldo went from a winger to being the best number nine on the planet, scoring goals is all he cares about. 

'Messi is a goalscorer but he facilitates and I appreciate that as a player who likes to come deep and get the ball. 

'He's a more cerebral player, Messi and therefore some people don't understand that part of the game, right? Those who do appreciate it more.

'So that's why I lean more towards watching Messi play. It's all about preference. I was lucky enough to have had the privilege of playing against them during that era in Spain.'

Rossi originally joined United from Parma at the age of 17 and was highly-rated, but he didn't quite make the grade at the club, where he was two years younger than Ronaldo.

And, despite spending time with the 39-year-old during their formative years, Rossi went onto hail Messi, who now plies his trade with MLS side Inter Milan, even further.

Rossi (left) spent three years as Ronaldo's (right) team-mate at Old Trafford from 2004 to 2007

The Italian went onto play for the likes of Villarreal, Celta Vigo, Fiorentina and Genoa (pictured)

He added: 'If you look at him on the pitch, he could be 80 years old and still be the best player on the field in the MLS. 

'Everyone loves to see him because he is the greatest of all time.

'The expectation of Lionel Messi coming to the MLS has nothing to do with performance on the pitch - it’s all about the league performance off the pitch.

'It was about how much Messi could generate from his short period at the time and I think they've done it. If you look at the TV rights and the merchandise it has skyrocketed, everything is going just as they planned it.'