Lionel Messi has earned himself a place in Ronaldo's best XI of all time after the 35-year-old was named as the FIFA Men's Best Player 2022 on Monday.
The Paris Saint-Germain star overcame competition from team-mate Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to claim the prize for the second time, having first won the prize in 2019.
Having endured a tough start to the year which saw him left out of the nominees for the Ballon d'Or, Messi scored six times and provided nine assists in 14 Ligue 1 matches before the World Cup. The forward then impressed in Qatar as he helped Argentina win the tournament for the third time, netting seven goals in the process.
Messi was therefore named as the Player of the Tournament in the Middle-East and has now been rewarded with FIFA's top individual prize at the awards ceremony in Paris. Alongside Mbappe and Benzema, Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric and Manchester City hotshot Erling Haaland also made up the top-five.
However, following Messi's latest triumph, Brazil legend Ronaldo has released his all-time XI - and it is safe to say there are some interesting omissions from the side.
Unsurprisingly, Messi is included in the team, but there is no place for Cristiano Ronaldo, who isn't included by his namesake despite scoring over 700 club goals.
The 38-year-old has also won the Ballon d'Or on five occasions but is overlooked by ex-Real Madrid ace Ronaldo, who has decided to pick Ronaldinho, Pele and himself in the forward line. It is a full Brazilian strike force with Lionel Messi in the side, too, alongside Diego Maradona and Zico. What a midfield that would be in their prime.
At the back, Cafu is on the right side of defence, with compatriot Roberto Carlos at left-back as Ronaldo built a team full of flair and technical quality. Ronaldo played with both players for his country and enjoyed a lot of success, including winning the World Cup twice.
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Meanwhile, Franz Beckenbauer and Paulo Maldini made up the two centre-backs with Gianluigi Buffon in goal. It is a team that features players from four different nations, and interestingly, only two from Europe with Italy and Germany represented.
Ronaldo has included a number of his ex-teammates and it isn't a surprise given their success. He didn't play with Pele, but the great man's record speaks for himself as he is dubbed as the best by many ahead of Messi, Ronaldo and others. The Santos legend sadly died at the age of 82 in December.
Ronaldo's XI in full : Buffon, Cafu, Beckenbauer, Maldini, Carlos, Zico, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, Pele, Ronaldinho
