Lionel Messi ranks ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo to be a part of top 100 players of the 21st century. The list of top 100 players was released by Independent, UK based news agency. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner occupied number one position on the list which was then followed by Cristiano Ronaldo. As per the news agency, they considered 10 factors for getting narrowing down on the list. As per the website, they considered, “A player’s ability and the actual application of that ability, the consistency of that application; the level they reached; their influence on the competition and – of course – their level of achievement.” Lionel Messi Transfer Latest News Update: Manchester City’s Tweet Linking Barcelona Star to Club Gives More Rife to Rumours

While Lionel Messi stood on number one and the former Real Madrid player stood on two, Xavi Hernandez spotted third in the list. Brazil’s Ronaldinho stood fourth, whereas former Barcelona player Andre Iniesta was on number five. Gareth Bale stood 53rd in the list. You can check the full list of players by clicking on this link.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been close contenders and often are compared for their style of play and records. The two have been compared for a long time now by the fans and football pundits but none of them could actually give put a concrete answer on who among the two is a better player. However, Messi has been in the news for a couple of days now after had a public spat with Barcelona Sporting Director Eric Abidal. Rumours are rife that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner could quit Barcelona this summer.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 07, 2020 05:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).