Ferguson: Ronaldo could score a hat-trick for Doncaster, I'm not sure Messi could

The former Manchester United boss feels the Argentine is better suited to Barcelona and says the Portuguese is one of the three best players he managed at Old Trafford

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi because only the Real Madridforward could ‘play for Doncaster Rovers and score a hat-trick’.

Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, and was named Fifa World Player of the Year during his his six-year stay at Manchester United after being signed by Ferguson from Sporting in 2003.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d’Or award for the past seven years, with the Barcelona forward edging the race with four titles to Ronaldo’s three, but Ferguson feels the Portugal international would be more influential than his rival if they were both asked to play for a weaker team.

"Ronaldo is tough," the former United manager told BBC Sport. "People say 'who is the best player in the world' and plenty of people quite rightly say Messi. You can't dispute that opinion.

"But the thing about Ronaldo... Ronaldo could play for Millwall, QPR, Doncaster Rovers or anyone and he'd score a hat-trick. I'm not sure Messi could do it.

"Ronaldo's got two feet, he's quick, he's good in the air and he's brave, though Messi's brave too of course. I just think Messi is a Barcelona player."

Ferguson also praised Ronaldo’s development at Old Trafford, and believes the 30-year-old is one of the three best players he managed during his 26 years at United along with Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

"Ronaldo is the biggest improvement I ever had at Manchester United really because he came as a young skinny kid at 17," said Ferguson.

"And yes, he had stuff such as diving which people used to criticise him but, once he got out on the training field, he was fantastic.

"The most important thing for a great player is decision-making and that improved over Ronaldo's time at old Trafford. Him and Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, you have to say, are the best three players I ever had. Bryan Robson and Roy Keane and Eric Cantona were great players, too, but not [at their level]."