Angel Di Maria did not reach for sentiment.

“The reality is shown in numbers. One has eight Ballons d’Or, the other five,” the Argentina winger told Infobae’s Mi Selección series. “There is a very big difference.”

The interview has swung back into focus as Cristiano Ronaldo once again pushes the claim that he, and not Lionel Messi, is the greatest footballer in history.

Few players in the game are better placed to pick a side. Di Maria shared a dressing room with Ronaldo at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014, and has lined up alongside Messi for Argentina for well over a decade.

Read also: “I’d rather not”: Former F1 chief makes heartbreaking Michael Schumacher admission

‘For me, Leo is the best in history’

Asked about Ronaldo’s habit of calling himself the best player ever, Di Maria did not sound surprised.

“I’m not surprised, I was with him for four years. It was always like that.”

Then came the line he kept coming back to.

“For me, Leo is the best in the world and the best in history, without a doubt.”

Read also: Real Madrid ready to hand Jude Bellingham staggering new deal amid Chelsea interest

Messi has collected eight Ballons d’Or to Ronaldo’s five. Di Maria stacked Argentina’s trophy run on top of that, the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles, as the extra weight on his side of the ledger. Across nearly 20 years at the top, he argued, the gap has only widened.

Ronaldo’s claim, before and after

Ronaldo’s position has been consistent for years. In his 2022 sit-down with Piers Morgan, the Al Nassr forward doubled down and even brushed off the one trophy that still separates the two men.

“If you ask me, Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup? No, it’s not a dream.”

Asked whether he had earned the right to be considered the greatest of all time, Ronaldo answered simply: “Of course.”

Read also: Bukayo Saka joins exclusive Arsenal club after Champions League masterclass

More recently, in a February 2025 interview with Spanish television, Ronaldo declared himself “the most complete player to have existed,” citing his heading, free kicks, pace and strength.

Four years with Ronaldo, a career with Messi

What gives Di Maria’s answer its weight is where it comes from. He trained with Ronaldo in Madrid under Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, played in the same forward line as Messi for his country, left Real Madrid for Manchester United in 2014 and later reunited with Messi at Paris Saint-Germain. Few active footballers have had the vantage point he has had.

Pressed on how anyone argues with Ronaldo’s self-image, Di Maria did not try. He simply returned to the same single yardstick.

“The reality is shown in numbers.”

Read also: Cristiano Ronaldo branded a burden to Portugal as brutal verdict emerges: “A weight is gone”

Read also: Real Madrid told to get rid of Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe as damning verdict emerges