MX23RW : Tuesday, November 5 18:31:22| >> :60:3518:3518:

Xavi: 'Cristiano Ronaldo not smart enough to rival Lionel Messi'

Xavi claims that Barcelona ace Lionel Messi's intelligence on the field sets him apart from Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of individual qualities.

Barcelona legend Xavi has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo lacks the footballing intelligence required to rival Lionel Messi on the global stage.

The duo have dominated the Ballon d'Or voting over the past eight years, largely taking it in turns to share world football's biggest individual prize.

Xavi enjoyed his best years at club level when linking up with Messi at Camp Nou, and the Spaniard claims that his former teammate comes out on top in the battle against Real Madrid's Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is a goalscorer, and Messi is also a goalscorer," he is quoted as saying by The Sun. "However, Messi is a much better team player than Ronaldo. I think Messi is the best footballer in the world.

"In football, there are two important elements - fitness and intelligence. Ronaldo is very fit but Messi has both the fitness as well as the intelligence, so simply put, he is better."

Xavi, who is now plying his trade at Al Sadd in the Middle East, also recently suggested that Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez has what it takes to succeed at Barcelona.

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Xavi Hernandez for Barcelona on December 7, 2014
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona12110140112933
2Real Madrid1173121111024
3Atletico MadridAtletico126511871123
4Villarreal116322019121
5Osasuna126331716121
6Athletic Bilbao125431812619
7Real BetisBetis125431210219
8Mallorca12534109118
9Rayo Vallecano114431210216
10Celta Vigo125161820-216
11Real Sociedad124351010015
12GironaGirona124351517-215
13Sevilla124351217-515
14AlavesAlaves124171419-513
15Leganes122551216-411
16Getafe12174810-210
17Espanyol123181122-1110
18Las PalmasLas Palmas122371321-89
19Real ValladolidValladolid12228924-158
20Valencia11146817-97


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