Dubai: Former Fifa World Player of the Year Luis Figo has strayed away from comparing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Asked his opinion on who is the greater player between Messi and Ronaldo, the 2001 Fifa World Player of the Year, said: “They are both the best in the world. It is always difficult to choose one of them and say he is the best.

“In the end Ronaldo and Messi are the ones who have been winning all the individual awards in the world of football and that says it all about their tremendous individual talent as footballers. I would never choose between them,” Figo added.

The 44-year-old Portuguese is one of few players who has donned colours for five years each at both FC Barcelona and arch-rivals Real Madrid — where he was part of the golden generation of Galacticos.’ You can’t really compare two clubs. That’s tough as well. It really depends on which club has been more regular winning La Liga. Real Madrid was better this year and they deserved to win,” Figo said.