Deco: Messi, Ronaldo don't compare to Ronaldinho

Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? If you ask former Portuguese international Deco who the best player in the world is, the answer is neither.

Deco has seen the two up close, having played with Messi at Barcelona and with Ronaldo for Portugal but he believes they don't compare with another iconic star, Ronaldinho.

"Ronaldinho was more talented than Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo," Deco said, as quoted by ESPN FC via Sport. "When we didn't know what to do, he would create chances to score."

While Ronaldinho, winner of the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Brazil and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 certainly had his moment in the spotlight, he faded away following his exit from Barcelona, with stints at various clubs in his native country, Italy, and Mexico.

Deco added that while the two current top footballers possess plenty of talent, there was something special about Ronaldinho's play.

"(Ronaldo) was young, athletic and very competitive," Deco explained. "Messi worked hard to do what he does now with the ball for Barca, but what Ronaldinho had was completely natural, he had a special ability. Every time we gave him the ball, he would score a different type of goal."