Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won 11 of the last 12 Ballon d'Ors between them. (Source: File)Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been at loggerheads with each other for more than a decade, trying to outscore one another and win the personal accolades like Ballon d’Or.
Playing for fierce rivals, Barcelona and Real Madrid, both the forwards dominated the scoring charts in La Liga for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018 before Ronaldo left for Italy.
Despite their history, the 33-year-old Messi brushed aside his rivalry with the Juventus talisman by recently claiming that he would pass to him if they ever played together.
“I guess so, in the end, yes,” Messi told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo in an interview.
The hypothetical situation might turn into a reality soon as Spanish journalist Guillem Balague reported on Thursday that Ronaldo has reportedly been offered to Barcelona.
Reportedly, Juventus want to get the 35-year-old’s massive £28m-per-year salary off their books.
“We have not had dinner together yet, but I hope so in the future.”
“It’s great to be a part of the history of football. I am there, and of course, he is as well.”
Magnificent.
Cristiano Ronaldo speaks on his relationship with Lionel Messi 🙏 pic.twitter.com/HbicSaS6NW
— Football on BT Sport #Club2020 (@btsportfootball) August 29, 2019
Messi has previously praised Ronaldo on his performances for Juventus and called him a “predatory striker.”
“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,” Messi told Mundo Deportivo.
Messi will be hoping to be at his best on Friday when Barcelona go up against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.