Cristiano Ronaldo declares the ‘rivalry is over’ between him and Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo has declared the rivalry is over between him and Lionel Messi.
There's no denying that they are two of the most formidable people that football has ever seen.
The accolades between them are mind-boggling and people constantly argue over who is better.
For some reason, there has to be a clear frontrunner and fans refuse to accept that they can both be great at the same time.
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Some will look at points scored, whereas others will point to trophies or titles won.
However, if you ask Ronaldo, he reckons people should put their differences aside and agree that he and Messi are the GOATs.
“The rivalry is over,” Ronaldo said (via NBC).
“It was good, a healthy rivalry that spectators liked a lot.
"Whoever likes Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t have to hate Messi or vice-versa because they’re both very good. They changed the history of football, and they keep on doing it.”
“We are respected throughout the world, that’s the most important thing.
"He makes his way, I make mine, even if we are playing outside Europe. He has done well, from what I’ve seen, and so have I. It’s about continuing. The legacy continues.
"The rivalry, I don’t see things like that. I’ve already said, we’ve shared the stage for 15 years and we ended up being, I wouldn’t say friends, because I never dined with him, but we are professional colleagues and we respect each other.”
Interestingly, Ronaldo was left off the list of nominees for the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
He has won the award five times and has been nominated every year since 2013.
Messi made it onto the list and could win for an incredible eighth time as many pundits predict he'll take home the trophy after helping Argentina win the World Cup in 2022.
Ronaldo has scored more club goals than Messi in their glittering careers, with the former on 724 and the latter on 715.
However, it's worth noting that the Portuguese star has two more seasons than his Argentinian 'colleague'.
Messi has way more assists than Ronaldo with 305 compared to 204.
He also wins on World Cup appearances and goals with 26 matches and 13 goals versus 22 games and eight goals.
Ronaldo far outweighs Messi in international caps and games with 200 games and 123 goals compared to 175 and 103.
We could split statistics down and try to weigh them all up, but at the end of the day they are both incredible sportsmen.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Sport, Football
Stewart Perrie