WHO is the greatest footballer of all-time?
It’s never an easy question to answer, with the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona ruling the roost during the 1970s and 1980s.
How Messi and Ronaldo stack up, statistically – but what do they say about each other
But these days, many would argue there are two players that have surpassed them: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Football fans tend to be parked firmly in one camp of the other – with the debate raging on in pubs, offices and playgrounds across the globe.
Last week we revealed what the players who played with BOTH of them believed, with a clear winner.
Now we bring you what Messi thinks of Ronaldo and what Ronaldo thinks of Messi…
The pair know each other well, of course, having gone toe-to-toe in dozens of El Clasico contests down the years.
But are the two professional frenemies or just plain, old enemies?
RONALDO ON MESSI
Ronaldo and Messi have enjoyed a career-long rivalry
THE now-Juventus superstar spent eight seasons at Real Madrid – playing Messi time and time again.
Not only would the pair share the same pitch whenever Los Blancos faced off against Barcelona, but they would tussle for LaLiga supremacy season after season.
But it was a challenge Ronaldo wanted – with the Portuguese ace comparing his rivalry with the Argentine to the greatest in sporting history.
Last year, Ronaldo revealed: “I really admire the career he has had so far.
“And, for his part, he has already said that he had trouble when I left the Spanish league because it is a rivalry that he appreciates.
“It is a good rivalry that exists in football, but this is no exception.
“Michael Jordan had rivals in basketball, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were great rivals in Formula One…
“The only common point between all the big rivalries in the sport is that they are healthy.”
When asked if the pair were friends, Ronaldo continued: “We have shared the stage for 15 years.
“I don’t know if that’s happened before – the same two guys on the same stage all the time.
“Of course, we have a good relationship. We haven’t had dinner together yet, but I hope in the future.
“We had that battle in Spain. I pushed him and he pushed me as well. So it’s good to be part of the history of football.”
Despite all the positive words, Spanish and Italian insiders have revealed all is not rosy between the two
Despite the positive words, top Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague once revealed things weren’t all sweetness and light.
In his 2014 book, called Messi, Balague wrote that Ronaldo calls his rival “motherf***er” behind his back.
Renowned Italian journalist Luca Caioli – in his book Ronaldo: The Obsession for Perfection, released in 2012 – claimed CR7 “heats up when watching Messi play.”
But Ronaldo once spoke out about such claims, responding: “We don’t have a relationship outside the world of football, just as we don’t with a lot of other players.
“We have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit, because it’s a good thing.”
MESSI ON RONALDO
Messi and Ronaldo have gone toe-to-toe on and off the pitch for trophies, both team and personal alike
RONALDO claimed his rivalry with Messi spurred him on – and it’s fair to say the feeling appears to be mutual.
The Barcelona superstar once revealed he believes Ronaldo is the only person to play at his level in the current game.
Just last month, when asked who he thought was the best player on the planet, Messi revealed: “Today, there are very good players.
“Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Luis Suarez, Eden Hazard… any of them could be the best in the world.
“But I took Cristiano out of that group and put him with me.”
And Messi echoed Ronaldo’s sentiment of their rivalry pushing them on to bigger and better things.
The Argentine continued: “It was nice playing against Cristiano, even if it was difficult.
“I enjoyed winning cups when he was at Madrid. It would be nice if he were still there.
“I have a lot of respect for Juventus; I think they are a very strong team, with very good players – and with the arrival of Cristiano, even more so.
“It was a duel that will last forever because it went on for many years, and it isn’t easy to keep at your highest level for so long.
“Especially at those two clubs we were at, which were so demanding, in Madrid and Barca, the best in the world.
“Competing head-to-head for so many years will be remembered forever. The sporting rivalry between us was very nice on a personal level.
“I think that the fans also enjoyed it, be they Madrid or Barca supporters, and those who just like football will also have enjoyed it.”
A more detailed look at Messi’s career stats compared to Ronaldo
But Messi once admitted he was “hurt” by Ronaldo – after the Portuguese forward drew level with him on five Ballons d’Or – two years before the Argentine grabbed his sixth.
The Barca star said: “I appreciated having five and being the only one to do so.
“When Cristiano levelled me, I have to admit that it hurt me a bit. I was no longer alone at the summit.
“But it was logical, even if it is nice when you are alone on five.”
And he went on to say he can’t ever see a point where the two become friends.
In 2017, Messi said: “I don’t know if we will be friends. Friendship is built through spending time together and getting to know each other.
“We have no relationship, mainly because we only see each other at awards ceremonies and that’s the only time we speak.
“Everything is fine, but our lives don’t cross over very often.”
Above all else, the two players want to believe they are friends as well as rivals
But Messi finished by saying Real Madrid have really missed Ronaldo since he joined Juve – while perhaps suggesting he misses him just as much.
He said: “It’s normal that he continues to score, he is a predatory striker, he loves to score, any day he plays he will score.
“He has many good attributes as a forward and at the minimum he converts.
“Real Madrid without Ronaldo has lost many goals, but it was obvious it would happen.
“Not only goals, but Cristiano also brings many other things. If a team loses a player who scored 50 goals per season, it’s noticeable.
“Real Madrid has great players, but Cristiano scores 50 goals per season.
“When Cristiano was at Madrid, games against them were always special.”
‘Lionel Messi can leave Barcelona for free at the end of the season’ says ESPN’s Sid Lowe
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
