Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been at the heart of one of sport’s most significant rivalries for nearly two decades.
However, Ronaldo has conceded that there’s one aspect where the Barcelona legend surpasses him.
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Both players are often regarded as the greatest footballers ever, with their collective 12 Ballon d’Or victories and their groundbreaking achievements on the field. ..Continue Reading
Ronaldo, who has now scored over 920 career goals, has always maintained that no one surpasses him. Yet, in early 2016, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star admitted Messi’s superiority in one area.
At the 2015 Ballon d’Or ceremony, where Messi received the award for the fifth time, Ronaldo praised Messi’s exceptional left foot ahead of the event in Zurich, Switzerland.
Ronaldo told reporters: “His left foot is pretty good – better than mine. I’d like to have his left foot.”
During that period, Neymar was Messi’s teammate at Barcelona, and he chimed in by saying he would “take both of Ronaldo’s feet.”
Messi, on the other hand, responded to journalists in a composed and thoughtful manner, expressing his respect for Ronaldo but emphasizing that he doesn’t feel envious of any other players.
When asked the same question, Messi calmly reiterated that while he admired Ronaldo, there was nothing about his rival that he wished he possessed.
The Argentina captain said: “Envy is a very negative trait. Cristiano has many great qualities which every player would like to have. We each have our individual styles.”
Ronaldo’s comments about Messi came just two months after he told the BBC that he had no doubts that he was a better player than Messi.
“In my mind, I’m always the best,” Ronaldo said in the November 2015 interview.
“I don’t care what people think, what they say. In my mind, not just this year but always, I’m always the best.
“It’s opinions, I respect the opinions. Messi is better than me, but in my mind I am better than him. So it’s simple.”
Although Ronaldo won the next two Ballon d’Ors after Messi’s triumph in 2015, Messi has since gone on to win the prize a further three times in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
