Real Madrid midfielder, Toni Kroos has backtracked on his claims over the greatest football of all time after Argentina's World Cup final win.
Kroos, who played for many years with Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain, had previously suggested that the Portuguese star was the best to ever grace the football pitch. But, after Lionel Messi's win against France on Sunday December 18, the German midfielder has now admitted that his opinion has now changed to favour the Argentine.
According to the Mirror, Kroos had previously claimed: 'From my playing days, it's Cristiano Ronaldo (best player of all time). Of course, I'm biased because he made a decisive contribution to us winning a lot of titles.
'It was exciting and impressive to play alongside Ronaldo. We were not only team-mates but also neighbours in the dressing room and neighbours in private.
'He lived right next to me. Seeing what a perfectionist he is was impressive. That is why it is forbidden for me to name Messi (as the best player of all time).'
Kroos spent four years playing at the Santiago Bernabeu with Ronaldo before the five-time Ballon d'Or winner left Spain to join Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2018.
Despite his strong links with the Portuguese forward, Kroos admitted to MagentaTV: 'He (Messi) deserves it. In terms of individual performances in a championship, I've never seen a footballer play as regularly as this guy.
'You have to take into acc