The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is well-known across the world and is likely to be remembered as one of the greatest in football history!
Despite this, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner openly mentioned Ronaldo’s name in an interview when asked about the greatest footballer he has seen play live.
But it wasn't Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo that Messi named.
Instead, Messi named Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario.
During an interview in 2020, Messi told TyC Sports, “Ronaldo Nazario was a phenomenon. Of all the strikers I have seen, for me he was the best. An impressive player from any aspect.”
While talking about the greatest footballers, Messi also showed gratitude to Ronaldinho.
He added, “He helped me a lot. I came into the dressing room at 16-years-old. Doing so and seeing all these greats was difficult. He took me under his wing, he made me feel comfortable, so that I let go.”
Messi went on to share, “On the pitch I was always looking for him. We played for a few years together. In this era I didn't play much. I would have liked to play a lot more with him.”
The Portuguese star recently reached 920 goals in his career, creating a significant lead over Messi in the all-time top scorers’ list with 70 more goals than Messi, who has 850 goals.
