Carlos Tevez wades into the great Messi v Ronaldo debate | OneFootball

Carlos Tevez has played alongside both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during his career and though he appreciates both players’ qualities, he knows who he prefers.

Tevez, who recently returned for a third spell at Boca Juniors following a short stint at Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, has played with Messi many times for Argentina and was also Ronaldo’s team-mate for two seasons during his time at Manchester United.

And the 33-year-old says the big difference between the two superstars is that while Ronaldo had to work hard on the physical side of his game, Messi’s magic came naturally to him.

“Cristiano is totally different to Messi,” Tevez told ESPN Argentina.

“When Leo was starting out, he didn’t touch a gym. But Cristiano was there in the morning, afternoon and evening, all the time.

“Cristiano had to work and prepare himself to be the best, while for Leo it comes naturally.

“Those are the greatest differences that I see between the two best players on the planet.

“Messi plays another sport.

“For Messi to score three goals [in any given game] is normal.”

Despite earning a reported €730,000-a-week at Shanghai Shenhua, Tevez managed just four goals in 22 appearances and when he was recently asked about his ill-fated stay in China, he told Argentine TV station TyC: “It’s fine because I was on holiday for seven months.”

And predictably, his comments did not go down too well with many Chinese football fans.

Writing on Weibo – China’s equivalent of Twitter – one supporter wrote: “Football hooligan, please get your arse out and never return to China again. Scum.”

While another added: “After looking at Tevez’s interview my heart as a Chinese football fan is again deeply hurt.

“While we are chasing Tevez like a rat crossing the street, China’s [football] managers should also do some good self-reflection.”