I played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Man United - but Lionel Messi is a different level

Paul Pogba has weighed in on who is the better footballer between former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

United fans may not be impressed by the view of Pogba, who initially emerged in the youth ranks of the Red Devils as a youngster under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Frenchman struggled to breakthrough at Old Trafford after signing a professional contract in 2011, playing just three games for the senior side before being allowed to leave for Juventus on a free transfer the following year.

After racking up 34 goals for the Serie A side between 2012 and 2016, the United hierarchy realised the error of their ways - re-signing the now 31-year-old for for an at the time world-record fee of £89.3million. Pogba's second spell in England was slightly more rewarding, netting 39 goals and bagging 48 assists in 230 games - albeit not quite enough to justify his whopping price tag considering.

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Pogba linked up with Ronaldo during the Portuguese star's very own return to United in 2021, sharing the pitch with the 39-year-old under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But that year-long relationship didn't change his belief that Argentinian maestro Messi is on a different level to him.

Speaking to Twitch streamer IShowSpeed, who is known for his own die-hard fandom of Ronaldo, earlier this month, Pogba said: "You love Cristiano - I love the style and everything, and some people love Messi because bro. Bro, you see what he's doing? Messi is different."

Referring to Messi's 5'7" stature, Pogba added: "Bro, you think you can push him and stuff like that. How can a person like this - so small - can do this to people? Right? You agree with me?" When asked if he agreed with Pogba's analysis, Speed disagreed, before the midfielder added: "Bro because your heart is talking bro. Because you know the fact bro."

However, when Pogba was asked definitively who he would back out of the two, he explained: "Bro, for me there is not Ronaldo vs Messi. Stop this b******* bro." He added: "Who do I prefer? If I have to make a team - if I need to score goals I would take Cristiano. Really, only to score goals.

"But if I need a playmaker who can score goals, make assists - bro, I'll take Messi every day." Pogba did ultimately give his former team-mate his props where due, explaining how there was no-one like him in the 2007/08 season. He said: "Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Ballon d'Or season...

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"Bro, 2007 to 2008 - this season, when they win the Champions League right? Cristiano, what he did on the pitch, there's no one player that did what he done in 2008 I don't think. That was crazy." Pogba once more walked from United on a free transfer in 2022 to return to Juventus.

He was hit with a four-year ban in February for a doping offence which has since been reduced to just 18 months, and Juventus have agreed to mutually terminate the footballer's contract at the end of November. As a free agent, Pogba will be able to play football again as of March as the ban dates back to his initial provisional ban in September of last year.