Cristiano Ronaldo may have walked off with all the main individual awards for 2008, but former world player of the year Rivaldo believes Barcelona ace Lionel Messi is the game's leading star.
Ronaldo this week added the FIFA World Player of the Year title to his FIFPro and Ballon d'Or awards after last season scoring 42 goals to help Manchester United win the Champions League and the Premier League.
The Portugal international finished well clear of second-placed Messi in the voting for the FIFA World Player of the Year, but in the eyes of 1999 winner Rivaldo, it is the Argentinian ace who is top dog.
"Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, I go with Messi. For me he is the best in the world," said the former Brazil international.
"Cristiano is very good and you cannot argue about him getting all those awards because he has won a lot of titles and scored 42 goals, but I'm with Leo.
"For me, Messi is more aggressive than Cristiano, he reminds me of myself. Leo has a good attitude, can decide games and he is always trying to go forward no matter how many kicks he gets. And all this at only 21 years old."
Rivaldo also believes Messi, who was runner-up to Kaka in 2007, will replace Ronaldo as the FIFA World Player of the Year if he and Barca carry on as they have been doing.
Messi has already netted 20 goals in 22 competitive matches this season, helping Barca to a 12-point lead at the top of La Liga, and into the last 16 of both the Champions League and Copa del Rey.
"Next season, if Leo and Barca continue the same, Leo will win the Champions League, the league the FIFA World Player of the Year," said former Nou Camp favourite Rivaldo to El Mundo Deportivo.
