Chygrynskiy: Ronaldo not better than Messi because he's selfish

Cristiano Ronaldo is not the best player in the world because he is selfish unlike Lionel Messi, claims former Barcelona defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy.

Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer Ronaldo has won four Ballon d'Or awards and he is expected to join Messi on five this year.

However, Ukrainian Chygrynskiy – who spent a year alongside Messi at Camp Nou in 2009-10 before returning to Shakhtar Donetsk – heaped praise on his former Barcelona team-mate.

"Cristiano is a good scorer, but he is not the best in the world because he is selfish," Chygrynskiy, now playing for AEK Athens, told Cadena Ser.

"Messi is different, he always thinks of the team."

Ronaldo, 32, has had trouble scoring his season, finding the back of the net only once in seven LaLiga appearances for reigning champions Madrid.

Messi, meanwhile, tops the goalscoring charts with 12 to help Barca lead the league by four points and eight clear of Madrid.