In terms of desultory football arguments, the 'who's better, Ronaldo or Messi?' debate is right up there with 'is his hand in an unnatural position'.
Yet the argument rages ceaselessly on, and the latest to offer his opinion as to who is the Best Football on the Planet is former tiki-taka shop steward Xavi Hernandez. Xavi is currently monetizing his physical decline by playing in Qatar, and was asked on Spanish Rado (the nebulous and exotic organisation responsible for more transfer stories and footballing falling-outs than any other) that, although Ronaldo is "extraordinary", he is below Messi's level.
Xavi wasn't exactly disparaging about Ronaldo:
Only a fool could have played football and not recognise Cristiano is an elite footballer. But he just has had bad luck to be around at the same time as Leo.
Ronaldo, as is his wont, responded to this grievous slight upon his character with some utterly magnificent comments of his own.
They start off as you might expect: comparing the number of Ballon D'Ors he has garnered compared to Xavi, before taking a turn for the heroically indulgent:
The most searched for player on the Internet is me.
Those that want to appear on front covers [of newspapers] or promote things speak about me.
What does it matter to me what Xavi says? He plays where? In Qatar or [somewhere], I don't know. He's won everything but he's never won a Ballon d'Or. I have three.
Well that's magnificent by Ronaldo. He was speaking after Real's 5-2 stroll against Osasuna, against whom he scored and played 66 minutes following his injury in the Euro 2016 final.
