Netherlands legend Marco van Basten has blasted football supporters who believe Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.

One of the greatest debates between modern generation fans is who they prefer between the two players, with the pair head and shoulders above their challengers.

Messi has won six Ballon d'Ors to Ronaldo's five, while both have won numerous trophies at club level, but speaking to Corriere dello Sport van Basten, who won the Ballon d'Or three times himself, is in no doubt which of the players he prefers.

"Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi know nothing about football, or they are saying it in bad faith," he said.

"Messi is one of a kind. Impossible to imitate and impossible to repeat. A player like him comes along every 50 or 100 years. As a kid, he fell into the football genius pot."

Van Basten's career was cut short due to injury at the age of 28, but he believes he could have gone on to win even more than Messi and Ronaldo if he had been able to continue.

He added: "I basically stopped playing at 28. I had already won three Ballon d'Ors. Just look at Ronaldo and Messi, both over 30, where they are now."

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