Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are forever intertwined.

Boasting the unique status of sharing the same footballing era as two of its greatest ever sons, the internet age has swallowed up their brilliance and repeatedly pitted them against one another.

And yes, before you point accusatory fingers in my direction, I am indeed the writer who has compared Messi and Ronaldo to such bonkers extents as a UFC simulation. Yeh, seriously.

Messi vs Ronaldo

But in seriousness, the back and forth between the pair of football legends has become so saturated over the last few years that hearing unique takes on the debate has become rarer and rarer.

It's not necessarily about cracking the code or dropping a life-changing stat that ends the argument, but just a new lens through which we can view one of the most fascinating conversations in sport.

However, these sorts of analyses do come round from time to time, so we wanted to remember one of them today and it comes from a rather unexpected source: Kevin-Prince Boateng.

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Boateng's amazing Messi vs Ronaldo answer

Now, it's important to note that Boateng made his comments in late 2018, which predates his strange Barcelona move that - naturally - amplified his further praise about Messi a few notches.

But without the threat of any bias, Boateng produced what was in our eyes one of the greatest answers to the Messi vs Ronaldo debate and what that looks true a few years down the line.

When asked about the rivalry by Marca, Boateng responded: "For young people who are football players, Ronaldo should be the best in the world.

"He is the best example to look at because he trains to the fullest and has talent. He works like a madman, he is passionate with everything he does and about football. 

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"He always wants to be the best. He always wants to be first in everything, so, for a player who is just starting, the one to look at should be him because he is perfect.

"Ronaldo makes all of this happen in this world, but only in this world.

"In what transcends this world, the best is Messi, because he is incredible, he does things that nobody can do. I do not see him in this world.

"Ronaldo dominates this world and Messi is above everything else."

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Take a bow, Kevin-Prince, take a bow.

Messi is out of this world

I'm an absolute sucker for the whole 'Ronaldo is the best in the world, but Messi isn't from this world' rhetoric and I think it's the perfect way to summarise the debate if you side with the Argentine.

Now, obviously, Boateng isn't saying that Messi is simply talented and doesn't put in the hours, but it goes without saying that Ronaldo is more overtly the product of his unwavering dedication.

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And I really love the conclusions that that draws because it goes to show that we can remember both players fondly: one as the greatest player and one as the greatest example.

Then again, it's all a matter of opinion and besides, that Ronaldo bloke is pretty good at football as well, isn't he?