Ronaldo de Lima shuns Cristiano, names Messi among stars he enjoys watching- Ronaldo de Lima says Lionel Messi is the first player he always enjoys watching - The Selecao football icon later mentioned his countryman Neymar, Hazard, Mbappe and Salah - -R9 shunned Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the comparison between them is highly unnecessary Ronaldo de Lima might have settled the debate on the all-time great after naming Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi as the number one best player he always enjoys watching. The Brazilian football icon had an enviable career and he is often considered one of the best players who brought class and blended physicality with technique in modern football. When asked about five players he enjoyed watching, the Inter and Real Madrid legend shunned his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo when settling for Messi as the number one on the list. ''Messi, of course, he is number one, it is a talent that we will take 20 or 30 years to see something similar," R9 said. Recommended for you “I want my old life back”: BBNaija winner Phyna cries out over continued de... Apart from Messi, the Selecao legend also mentioned his countryman Neymar, French sensation Kylian Mbappe. Capping his five-man best list is Real Madrid and Belgium forward Eden Hazard and Liverpool star Mohammed Salah. "I also like Salah, Hazard, Neymar, that I love watching him play, of course, Mbappe," he added. The 42-year-old also dabbled into the long comparison between him and the Portuguese star, saying the comparison is unnecessary since they are from different generations. The Brazilain, however, admitted they both shared some similarities before submitting that the Juve star is a complete player who can swing both feet at convenience. "It says a lot of people who look like me, it has a lot of speed, it finishes well, it has great movements, it hits excellent with both legs, it has an incredible stride. "We have similar things, but I never liked comparisons, especially between players of different generations, because the situations are different,'' Ronaldo further posited. Recommended for you "See the evil in my house": Madam catches househelp at 1am mixing her urine... Ronaldo won two Ballon d'Or awards before drawing down the curtain on his glittering career spanning over a decade across top European powerhouses in Spain and Italy. PAY ATTENTION: Become a member of the leading sports Facebook group 'Naija Football Fan Zone Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Robin van Persie wisely steered a middle course when dabbling into the greatest-of-all-time discussion by choosing six players as the best instead of one. The Dutchman had a long stint in the Premier League both in Arsenal and Manchester United, netting impressive 144 goals and ranked 12th highest goalscorer of all time in the English league. Amokachi twins: Why we dumped Besiktas for Kwara United | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Ronaldo de Lima says Lionel Messi is the first player he always enjoys watching - The Selecao football icon later mentioned his countryman Neymar, Hazard, Mbappe and Salah - -R9 shunned Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the comparison between them is highly unnecessary PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng Amokachi twins: Why we dumped Besiktas for Kwara United