Victor Lindelof Snubs Ronaldo, Includes Messi as he Builds His Perfect Player

• Victor Lindelof has built his ultimate footballer
• The defender included Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi
• But he surprisingly excluded ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof excluded former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo but included Lionel Messi when naming his ideal player.

As part of Manchester United's 'My Perfect Player' series, the Swede crafted his dream footballer based on specific abilities.

Lindelof created two distinct lists, one featuring current and former Manchester United teammates, and another for players overall.

Interestingly, he chose not to include Ronaldo in either list. However, he named Messi as part of the overall dream player list due to his iconic left foot, Sportskeeda reports.

In the Manchester United players' composite, Lindelof selected: Bruno Fernandes (Right foot), Luke Shaw (Left foot), Harry Maguire (Heading), Marcus Rashford (Pace), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Tackling), Anthony Martial (Finishing), Casemiro (Strength), Marcus Rashford (Skills), Christian Eriksen (Vision), Raphael Varane (Mentality), Scott McTominay (Stamina).

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The overall composite included the following players: Andrea Pirlo (Right foot), Lionel Messi (Left foot), Marouane Fellaini (Heading), Kylian Mbappe (Pace), Paolo Maldini (Tackling), Robin van Persie (Finishing), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Strength), Eden Hazard (Skills), and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Mentality).

When did Lindelof join Man United?

Lindelof and Ronaldo were teammates for one and a half seasons before the Portuguese international departed from Old Trafford after a high-profile interview with Piers Morgan.

The Swedish centre-back joined Old Trafford in 2017 in a €35 million move from Benfica, per Sofascore. With 246 appearances for the club, he is under contract until the summer of 2024, with a 12-month extension clause included in his deal.

Bernardo lauds Ronaldo as true Portuguese GOAT

Relatedly, Sports Brief reported on Bernardo lauding Ronaldo as Portugal's greatest footballer, while also praising iconic Benfica forward Eusebio da Silva Ferreira in discussions about the country's ultimate footballing legend.

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Silva, a product of Benfica's renowned academy, shares roots with Eusebio, regarded as one of the sport's finest players. This connection makes it tough for him to choose between the 1965 Ballon d'Or recipient and the five-time awardee.

Although he's hesitant to declare the ultimate Portuguese GOAT, the 28-year-old expressed admiration for Ronaldo in an interview.