Paredes has no doubt that the Barcelona man is a little bit above Cristiano Ronaldo but, of course, he was full of praise for the Portuguese striker as well.
"They are both spectacular players, but in my opinion Leo is better. They have different physical capabilities. Thanks to Messi’s size and technical ability, he can do things that Cristiano can't," he explained for 'FIFA.com'.
For the 23-year-old midfielder, the real difference is in the movement of the two players.
"Messi is able to deal with situations that Cristiano would find difficult. When Leo is surrounded by four or five markers, he’ll probably find a way out without losing the ball."
Does that settle it? Absolutely not. The eternal debate rumbles on...