There is no debate that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two most important players of this century. Their numbers prove it, as does the magic they continue to show on the field despite their advanced age. One of the few players who shared the locker room with both is Argentina legend Angel Di Maria, who recently discussed the strengths of each superstar.
Di Maria played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014, and together they won six titles, including the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. Based on that experience, the Argentine winger highlighted what he considers CR7’s most important quality.
“In terms of professionalism, Cris is number one by far,” Angel Di Maria said in a recent interview with Diario AS, placing Ronaldo above every other player he played with in that regard. “Everything with Cris was based on hard work and effort to be the best.”
Di Maria then continued praising the Portuguese star, but he was also honest when comparing him to Messi. “The way he worked, how he took care of himself, how he always tried to be the best while competing with Leo was admirable, but he happened to play in Messi’s era, and that made his goal much harder.”
Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi celebrate Argentina’s goal against Mexico during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
When discussing the main difference between the two superstars, the Argentine winger praised Cristiano’s work ethic and professionalism, but was clear in pointing out that “Messi drinking mate in the locker room and then going out and proving it showed that he had a gift from God to be the best.”
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Di Maria knows Messi well
While those four years at Real Madrid gave Di Maria a clear understanding of Cristiano Ronaldo’s qualities as both a player and teammate, he has an even deeper connection with Lionel Messi, whom he played with at both club and international level.
Messi and Di Maria first played together for the Argentina U-23 team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That same year, Angel made his debut for the Argentina senior national team, where Messi was already an established star, beginning a journey together that would last more than a decade.
Argentina enjoyed the combined talent of Messi and Di Maria from 2008 to 2024, a stretch that included four World Cups and six Copa America tournaments. Together they won four major titles, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles, and the 2022 Finalissima against Italy.
In addition to their international success, Di Maria and Messi were also briefly teammates at club level. In 2021, Leo left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain, where he teamed up with stars such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Di Maria. During the season they played together in France, they won the Ligue 1 title.
