Messi is gifted, Ronaldo works hard – Gyan

Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has been unable to choose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo because, according to him, while Messi is gifted, Ronaldo works hard.

In Gyan’s opinion, both Messi and Ronaldo are good at what they do and he, therefore, could not tell who amongst them was the better player.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Wednesday, 14 June, 2017, the all-time highest scoring player for the Black Stars said: “Messi is gifted and Ronaldo is hard working.”

Ronaldo works hard to get it, so that is the difference. Messi is a gift from God, he can just sit down for one month and play. And, for me, somebody like Ronaldo, he needs to be working every day because it has become part of him. And, for me, he works so hard to achieve and I think mentally he’s also strong. I haven’t been closer to him, but that is what I see.

“He’s strong mentally because that time Messi was emerging as winner of Ballon d’Or for five consecutive times, people were like ‘he [Ronaldo] is done’ but now it’s Ronaldo all the way. He’s working so hard and he’s doing a consistent job.”

There is an ongoing debate amongst football enthusiasts on which of two footballers is the better player.