The greatest - two words that follow Virat Kohli wherever he bats, at least as far as his contemporaries are concerned. 

By the time the 30-year-old's career eventually ends, it is quite possible that he will have surpassed Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar in the standing of his countrymen. 

When it comes to football, however, the Indian batsman has his own opinions on the finest players ever to grace the pitch.

 

During the course of what was ultimately a disappointing summer in England and Wales, Kohli struck up a friendship with Harry Kane and met with the England captain following their social media exchanges in recent years. 

Yet when it comes to the qualities that make players stand out, Kohli reserved his praise for Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview with FIFA.com.

"For me, Cristiano is above everyone else. His commitment and work ethic is unmatched. He wants it that bad – you can see it every game." 

When asked specifically whether Ronaldo or Lionel Messi had enjoyed the greater career so far, he answered unequivocally: 

"Ronaldo. In my opinion he has taken on more challenges and succeeded at all of them. He's the most complete player I have seen and his work ethic, as I mentioned, is unmatched.

"He inspires people. I don't think many people do that. He's also a leader and I love that. Absolutely love it. He has amazing belief too."

All those attributes could be applied to the cricketer himself, though he was ultimately unable to get the Men in Blue over the line in the 2019 World Cup as they crashed out to New Zealand in a shock semi-final defeat. 

As for Ronaldo, the debate surrounding the Portuguese forward and Messi regarding who is the best in the world may well be defined by the former's leadership qualities. 

The Juventus star led his country to glory in the European Championships in 2016, whereas Messi is yet to win a major international honour with Argentina. 

In his first season in Turin, Ronaldo then helped the Bianconeri to the Scudetto. 

Kohli also singled out Kylian Mbappe as the heir to the duo's thrones. 

"Mbappe stands out for me. His sprint in the 2018 World Cup against Argentina is hard to forget," he added.

"He's a beast and he will definitely be at the top of the pile for me. Absolutely top-class player."

Do you agree with Kohli on Ronaldo? Have your say in the comments.