The five-time Ballon d’Or recipient has had a career that mirrored Messi’s, with both dominating the pinnacle of global football for over 15 years and revolutionizing the sport through their remarkable accomplishments. ..Continue Reading
The ongoing debate over who holds the title of greatest persists, even though neither plays in Europe anymore. Ronaldo, now 40, continues to find the net regularly for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Messi, at 38, dazzles fans with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
For many, the argument was settled in 2022 when Messi finally lifted the World Cup trophy—netting two goals as Argentina triumphed over France in a thrilling penalty shoot-out following a 3-3 stalemate.
Ronaldo has enjoyed success on the international front, securing the 2016 European Championship and two UEFA Nations League titles—the most recent coming last summer.
However, he has yet to claim the World Cup, and after Portugal’s quarter-final exit to Morocco, Ronaldo was visibly emotional as he exited the pitch.
In a heartfelt Instagram post afterward, Ronaldo expressed that “winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career”.
Yet, during a fresh conversation on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ronaldo shifted his stance, suggesting that his legacy isn’t contingent on capturing football’s most coveted honor.
In a preview for the second part of the interview ahead of its Thursday airing, Ronaldo remarked: “If you ask me, Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup? No, it’s not a dream. To define if I’m one of the best of the history, to win one competition, [of] six games, seven games. You think it’s fair?”
Messi, on the other hand, sees things differently, calling the experience of becoming a world champion “the ultimate achievement” and likening it to “closing out my entire career” after enduring past disappointments on the grand stage.
Speaking at the America Business Forum in Florida, Messi reflected: “The truth is that explaining the feelings of that moment is difficult. It’s hard to put into words what that title meant, on a personal level, on a family level, for my team-mates, and for the country. It was clear how the country celebrated, the need and the desire we had for it to happen again after so much time had passed.”
He continued: “For me it was special. First, because for a player, winning the World Cup is the ultimate achievement. It’s like anyone in their job, any professional reaching the top. There’s nothing more after the World Cup. You can’t ask for anything more. And on top of that, I had been lucky enough to have achieved everything before. At the club level, at the individual level.
“We had also won the Copa América with the national team. That was the missing piece. It was like closing out my entire career with that trophy.”
Earlier in the interview, Ronaldo emphasized that while he holds deep admiration for Messi, he firmly believes he stands alone as the greatest, asserting: “Is Messi better than me? I don’t agree with that opinion. I don’t want to be humble”
Both legends may yet grace another World Cup, having declared their intentions to participate in next year’s tournament in North America.
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