Arthur Melo names 3 ways 'animal' Ronaldo is different from Messi

The Juventus new boy is one of only 16 footballers to have played alongside the legendary pair, and he’s now given an interesting comparison on them.

Arthur Melo believes Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are ‘identical’ as ‘champions’, but still highlighted three ways his new Juventus teammate differs from his former Barcelona colleague.

Ronaldo ‘talks more and is more accessible’, always helps and inspires fierce determination to his teammates, and finally he ‘trains like an animal’.

Arthur’s comparison between the pair comes shortly after Miralem Pjanic, who headed to Barcelona from Juventus last summer as part of the Brazilian’s trade deal, gave his own verdict.

Miralem Pjanić: "I can only speak well of Ronaldo, as a person and especially as an athlete. He's a very prepared player. Messi is an alien, whenever I played against him it was very difficult, almost impossible, and now at his side I see that he's a phenomenon." [via md] pic.twitter.com/QjmQZRleto

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 8, 2020

But unlike Pjanic, or anyone else for that matter, Arthur has given a fresh take on his experiences of having Ronaldo and Messi as teammates.

“They’re champions above all else,” the midfielder told the Gringolandia podcast.

“In this, Messi and Ronaldo are identical. Concentrated from start to finish, always.

“If they score three goals, they immediately think of the fourth. They never disconnect. It’s impressive and at the same time motivating, because they push you to do your best.

“Compared to Messi, Ronaldo talks more and is more accessible. He never backs down if there is a teammate in need, and he inspires fierce determination.

“He trains like an animal, he doesn’t know what a break is, and he always encourages you to do your best. He also tells me what to eat. He leaves nothing to chance.”

Below is a list of all the 16 footballers to have played alongside Messi and Ronaldo throughout their careers.