Messi's PSG team-mate Vitinha makes Ronaldo comparison

WHAT HAPPENED? There are obvious differences between the two all-time greats, with the Argentine icon all about guile and grace while the Portuguese superstar blends passion and power. Both have sent records tumbling across remarkable careers that have delivered 12 Ballons d’Or between them, but a player who works with Messi at Paris Saint-Germain and is a team-mate of Ronaldo at international level believes there are similarities between the pair.

WHAT THEY SAID: Vitinha told O Jogo when discussing two legends of the game: “There are far more things that unite them than things that separate them. They each have their own way of playing and their own characteristics, but the things that unite them are immense. The will to always want more, without taking into account what they have already earned, is part of it."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi is now 35 years of age, while Ronaldo is 37, but both remain as determined as ever to add to their respective medal collections with club and country and are still delivering on prominent stages such as Ligue 1, the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & RONALDO? Both men will be out of contract next summer, meaning that they could be on the move again, but there is plenty for them to achieve before then – not least another quest for World Cup glory in Qatar later this year.