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Cristiano Ronaldo once ranked Lionel Messi and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane alongside him in the GOAT debate. Ronaldo said this during his interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, which went viral for other reasons last year.
Ronaldo and Messi are considered two of the greatest players of the modern era, and the duo share an intense rivalry on the pitch. However, they have always shown mutual respect towards each other.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s opponent on the field was Zidane during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The duo later worked together at Real Madrid for two and a half seasons when the Frenchman became the club’s manager. They have won three UEFA Champions League titles together.
Morgan asked Ronaldo last year if Messi was the best player he had ever seen. The Portugal captain answered in the affirmative (via SPORTBible):
“Maybe (Messi), yes. He (and) Zidane probably – the one I played and fought with.”
Speaking of Messi, Ronaldo said:
“Amazing player, he’s magic. As a person, we share the stage 16 years old, imagine, 16 years old. We share. So, I have a great relationship with him. I’m not a friend of his in terms of, what I mean is friend is the guy who’s been at your house with you, talking on the phone, no, but he’s like a teammate.”
he added:
“He’s a guy I really respect for the way he always talks about me. Even his wife or my wife, my girlfriend, they always respect, and they’re from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. Very good. What can I say about Messi? A great guy who does great things for football.”
Real Madrid striker Rodrygo chose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the twilight of their illustrious careers. Both have left European football, with Ronaldo now playing for Al-Nassr and Messi recently joining Inter Miami.
However, the debate continues as to who is the best of the duo. Not only fans but current players are often asked to share their opinion on the same. Real Madrid player Rodrigo recently chose the Portuguese, saying (h/t Madrid Region):
“Messi or Ronaldo? Ronaldo.”
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi peaked when the former joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009. They became direct rivals in Spanish football, as Messi used to play for Barcelona at the time.
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