Former Milan striker and Netherlands head coach Marco van Basten said anyone who believes Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi does not understand anything about football.

Ronaldo and Messi are considered as two of the greatest players of all time, though who exactly stands alone as the best is often debated.

Barcelona captain Messi has won a record six Ballons D'Or, compared to Juventus superstar Ronaldo's five, while the pair have claimed numerous other club and individual honours.

Dutch great Van Basten, however, weighed in on the debate and made it clear who he thinks is the superior footballer.

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Not the result we wanted but UCL games are always tough. We have 90 minutes to fight back in Torino and have the confidence we will move ahead in the competition. #finoallafine #forzajuve

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Feb 26, 2020 at 4:26pm PST

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, but those who claim that he is better than Messi don't understand anything about football or say it in bad faith," Van Basten told Corriere della Sera.

"Messi is unique, inimitable and unrepeatable.

"Players like him appear every 50 or 100 years.

"As a child he fell into the pot of football genius."

Ronaldo is enjoying another fine season, with the 35-year-old's goal tally already at 25 across all competitions.

The Portugal captain scored 21 Serie A goals in his first campaign in Turin, and he has already matched that figure through 21 matches this term.

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on Feb 25, 2020 at 3:28pm PST

Messi, meanwhile, has scored 23 goals in all competitions for LaLiga champions Barcelona in 2019-20.

Ahead of Sunday's Clasico against bitter rivals Real Madrid, Messi has managed 18 league goals in 20 appearances.