Manchester United star Fred changes verdict in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi debate

Fred has admitted that playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United has led him to change his mind on the age-old debate about who is better out of his teammate and Lionel Messi.

The two great rivals have dominated the highest echelons of football for well over a decade now and remain, in most people's minds, the two best players in the world.

12 of the last 13 Ballon d'Or awards have been shared between Ronaldo and Messi, with only Luka Modric in 2018 being able to break the duopoly, with the Portuguese claiming five of them.

As a result of two of the best footballers to ever play the game coming along simultaneously debates have raged between fans, players, pundits and managers alike regarding who is the better of the pair for years.

United star Fred has admitted that he once would have picked Messi but that has all changed this season.

"I used to say Messi, it's a style that I enjoy more," he explained in an interview with TNT Sports Brasil. "But after playing with Cristiano I can see closely the amount of work that he puts into every aspect of his football life.

"On the pitch, he's always in the right place at the right time. He's the player with the highest ability to turn a game around I've ever seen. I choose him now [over Messi].

"He's an exceptional guy, on and off the pitch. Every day he's working to get even better and that's important as an inspiration to all of us, especially the young players. He's a role model."

The Brazilian has also been the latest United player to rally against claims that there is a growing rift within the United squad.

"This is in the media basically because we're living a difficult moment on the pitch," he added.

"Manchester United is a gigantic club and any