Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham rates Barcelona's Lionel Messi higher than Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo succeeded Beckham as Manchester United's No. 7 before arriving at Real Madrid two years after the England captain left the Spanish giants.

Beckham has also experience of playing against a young Lionel Messi in the latter's initial years with Barcelona and faced him once while he was playing for Paris St Germain. "He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him," Beckham told Telam.