Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the sport for an entire generation. In fact, they may even go down as the two of the greatest players to play the sport.
While football has seen many legendary figures gracing the game before them, there are none who have left a similar impact as Messi and Ronaldo.
Even at the twilight of their careers, when Messi dons the Inter Miami jersey and Ronaldo features for Al-Nassr, the GOAT debate continues to rage on among true supporters of the respective players.
The two superstars have dominated the sport for so long that they share 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them. Messi has eight Ballon d’Ors while his biggest rival Ronaldo owns five such awards.
Messi recently, in an interview with French outlet L’Equipe, shared his honest take on his rivalry with Ronaldo. He spoke about the significance of the rivalry and what it meant for the sport in general.
“It was a great battle, from a sporting point of view. We fed off each other’s rivalry because we’re both great competitors,” Messi told L’Equipe about his rivalry with Ronaldo.
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“He, too, always wanted to win everything, all the time. It was a very enjoyable time for both of us and for everyone who loves football.
“I think we deserve a lot of credit for having managed to stay at the top for so long. Because as they say, it’s easy to get there. What’s difficult is staying there. And we stayed at the top for ten, fifteen years.
8️⃣🌕 for Messi & 5️⃣🌕 for Ronaldo.
Messi reflects on his immense rivalry with Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. Between 2008 and 2023, they won the trophy 13 times! What is your favourite memory of the battle between the two most successful Ballon d’Or winners?#ballondor pic.twitter.com/9CVkK1pqwn
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) May 17, 2025
“It’s very difficult to stay at that level, and it’s spectacular. And I think it remains a good memory for all those who followed us,” he added.
The two legendary footballers have inspired the next generation as they fought tooth and nail and never gave an inch to each other on the field. But they were always respectful and gracious whenever they met off the field.
So for almost 15 years, they ruled the sport and shared the accolades among themselves. Messi lived that journey and gave a nod to the fans who stuck by him from that time.
For now, the Argentine legend will be looking to showcase his skills when he turns up in pink for Inter Miami in the Club World Cup this year in June.
Both the players are doing everything in their power to keep themselves fit as they aim to feature for their respective countries in the World Cup next year.
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