London [UK], January 16 (ANI): Wes Brown, a former Manchester United defender, has said that Lionel Messi went a step ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements after he won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina last year.

Speaking on legendary Messi's unrivalled performance and recalling his earlier days with Ronaldo, Wes said, "In my opinion, Messi winning the World Cup just edges it out. Ronaldo has always wanted to win this competition, and I believe the main point is that when you talk about Messi, you are also talking about Ronaldo. For the past 15 years, these two have been unchallenged GOATs (Greatest of All Time). Everyone is always focused as to what Ronaldo and Messi are up to."

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Brown spent six years at Manchester United before moving to Real Madrid with Ronaldo. Together they triumphed at the UEFA Champions League and won two Premier League titles in 2008. In the 2008 UCL semi-finals, the former football international faced Messi, which the Red Devils won 1-0 on aggregate.

Speaking on current Manchester United's performance after the World Cup, the former legendary defender said the team was strong.

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"Obviously, we have been doing well since the World Cup. I mean, I suppose it was one of those times as a fan when you wished the game did not end. It was a refreshing change from what everyone else was doing. After the World Cup, I believe everyone returned to their home grounds with full energy. You know we have been able to change personnel a few times and yet the team never stopped looking strong. Like I have had that time too when United changed the team a lot and yet have not got those results that we needed. So, we had to play the strongest eleven. But you can see the confidence running through the team in lots of positions," he said, according to Manchester United press release.

"One of the obvious ones is Marcus Rushford, who is looking very fit and ready to pounce on anything. His ability to score goals is also a huge asset to the team. The defence is once again outstanding; I mean, the few times he changes, he comes in the middle and saves it. Also, with the team looking so strong in unity and not allowing many goals, we now have some clean sheets. So, I believe the manager has the team performing admirably," he added.

Brown also talked about Indian football. "Obviously, the structure is required, and when I arrived, things were in the process of being built. The main issue is that as a child, all I did was play football, whereas, in India, all the kids I knew played cricket. That is perfectly acceptable. All it takes is a small change in structure to effect change, and you will notice a difference in children's abilities and technique as they grow." (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)