Edinson Cavani snubs Man Utd team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo when naming four football 'geniuses'

Lionel Messi has received a glowing reappraisal from Edinson Cavani, who has overlooked erstwhile Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo erstwhile describing immoderate of football's finest brains

Edinson Cavani has hailed Lionel Messi arsenic 1 of football's 4 "geniuses" - but stopped abbreviated of putting Cristiano Ronaldo successful the aforesaid category.

The Uruguayan is successful the twilight years of his vocation and is 1 of the astir decorated players successful his homeland. He's played astatine the likes of PSG and Manchester United - which has seen him transverse paths with immoderate of the modern-day greats.

In Paris, helium shared the transportation with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe whilst successful Manchester helium rubbed shoulders with Ronaldo. He's besides opposed Messi successful galore matches and has enactment the Argentine successful an elite category.

Messi's rivalry with Ronaldo has led to a generation-long statement but Cavani believes the World Cup victor is connected a antithetic level. He has produced thing of a astonishment by besides claiming Neymar arsenic conscionable 1 of 4 geniuses to play the crippled contempt galore believing helium failed to fulfil his talent.

Cavani told ESPN successful Argentina: "Do I see myself a genius successful football? No, honestly, the geniuses are: Messi, Maradona, Neymar and Ronaldinho. I americium conscionable a subordinate who works hard and kept refining myself."

Messi has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona passim his vocation and yet emulated him erstwhile helium delivered Argentina's 3rd World Cup - their archetypal since 1986 - erstwhile they were palmy successful Qatar recently.

Ronaldinho is different sanction connected that database to person claimed World Cup glory. The Brazilian was portion of a lethal frontline that helped the South Americans onshore the trophy backmost successful 2002. Ronaldinho would past spell connected to bask his highest years astatine Barcelona, winning the Champions League.

Whilst astatine the Nou Camp the Brazilian besides won the Ballon d'Or arsenic his idiosyncratic talents were lauded. The forward's joyful benignant of play earned him a lasting ovation astatine the Bernabeu arsenic good arsenic galore deals disconnected the transportation arsenic companies cashed successful connected his brilliance.

Ronaldo's aforesaid assurance has not wavered contempt him approaching 40 and calling clip connected his stint successful Europe to spell and play successful Saudi Arabia. The guardant has continued to people with regularity and insists helium sits apical of the tree. Last twelvemonth helium told Goal: "I americium the champion subordinate successful the past of football."

Join our caller WhatsApp community and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.