For around 15 years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been at the heart of an intense football rivalry.
However, their competition once moved beyond the field and into an auction house over a rare car.
Messi, who played for Barcelona and PSG during his European career, and Ronaldo, who played for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, are now playing outside of Europe—Messi in the MLS with Inter Miami and Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr.
The two football legends have collectively won 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi claiming eight and Ronaldo securing five.
Messi also earned 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies while at Barcelona, in addition to league titles at PSG.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, won league championships at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, along with five Champions League titles between United and Real Madrid.
Their accomplishments go beyond club football. Ronaldo has helped Portugal win the European Championship and Nations League, while Messi has won two Copa América titles and a World Cup with Argentina.
Widely regarded as two of football’s greatest players, Messi and Ronaldo faced each other multiple times while Messi was at Barcelona and Ronaldo played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
But their rivalry isn’t limited to football. It once extended into a Paris auction room over a rare Ferrari.
In 2016, at the Retromobile auction, the two were involved in a bidding war for a Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti, an ultra-rare car, with only four made between 1957 and 1958.
Equipped with a V12 engine and nearly 400 horsepower, this car could reach speeds of up to 186mph and came in Ferrari’s iconic red.
Ultimately, the car sold for £27 million, with Messi winning the bidding battle against Ronaldo. Afterward, Messi humorously posted a picture on Instagram, holding a toy Ferrari from the movie Cars with the caption, “My new car.”
Given Messi’s financial success over his career, the hefty price tag likely didn’t make much of an impact on his wealth.
