A former Real Madrid boss has insisted that Lionel Messi is a genius while Cristiano Ronaldo is not, before discussing who he thinks the better player between them this year is.
Read: FIFA Announce 3 World Player Of The Year Finalists
Fabio Capello, who won two La Liga titles with Los Blancos, believes that, while Ronaldo has worked hard to get to the top of the game, he does not have the brilliance of his longstanding rival.
"It's simple: Cristiano Ronaldo is a great goalscorer but he doesn't have the brilliance of Lionel Messi," the Italian told AS.
"Messi at the age of 17 or 18 was a genius; Cristiano was a good player who improved through hard work and effort, and has become an excellent forward.
"Cristiano is not just a great player but an excellent one, but he doesn't have that ability to mesmerise or pull off moves that are unimaginable. That, for me, is the difference."
However, despite his claims, Capello also insisted that Ronaldo was the better player in 2016, and therefore deserves to be named the FIFA Best Men's Footballer of the Year.
"Yes, certainly he's my favourite for the year," he added.
"He was instrumental in Portugal winning Euro 2016 and Madrid winning the Champions League. He'd be the worthy winner.
"However, when we talk about geniuses, then that's a totally different debate."
Read: FIFA Reveal Final 3 Puskas Award Nominees
Ronaldo, Messi and Antoine Griezmann are the three finalists for the 2016 FIFA Best Men's Footballer of the Year award, formerly known as FIFA World Footballer of the Year award, which replaces the FIFA Ballon d'Or after the world football governing body and France Football ended their six-year partnership.
Who do you think was the better player this year, Ronaldo or Messi? Have your say in the comments section below.
