Van Basten: Anyone who says that Ronaldo is better than Messi knows nothing Barcelona He hailed the Argentine

Former Ajax and AC Milan striker Marco Van Basten has taken sides in the long-standing debate on whether Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world.

The Dutchman praised the Juventus forward, but maintained that the Argentine can't be compared with any other player.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, but those who claim that he is better than Messi don't understand anything about football or say it in bad faith," he told Corriere della Sera.

"Messi is unique, inimitable and unrepeatable.

"Players like him appear every 50 or 100 years.

"As a child he fell into the pot of football genius."

Van Basten retired at a relatively young age and he admires those who still play football at a high level while in their thirties.

"I basically stopped playing at 28," he added.

"I had won three Ballon d'Ors.

"Look at where Ronaldo and Messi are, both over 30 years old."