There is no denying that the rivalry between Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina legend Lionel Messi is one of the greatest ever witnessed in the history of Football. Both superstars are potential legends for their respective national teams and their brand value is at a level which no one else is currently able to match. Though both the players are very good friends off the field, their on-field rivalry has always caught the attention of the world.
Both Messi and Ronaldo are known to break and set new records whenever they step foot on the ground. So, much so, that both these players are positioned as the top two active goal scorers in the sport. While Cristiano Ronaldo holds the top spot with 123vinternational goals, Messi is not too far behind with 103 goals under his belt. Third on the list is Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri with 91 international goals to his credit.
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has been intense, but it has also been respectful. Both players have acknowledged the other’s greatness, and they have even expressed admiration for each other. They have been competing for individual and team honors for over a decade, and their rivalry has been one of the most compelling in sports history.
Lionel Messi has been basking in the glory of finally bringing the FIFA World Cup back to Argentina for the first time since 1986, when he and his boys defeated France in the finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last December. Earlier in 2022, Argentina lifted the Copa America title for the first time under Messi’s leadership, something that his fans were dying to witness.
When asked bout his on-field rivalry with Ronaldo, and whether breaking Ronaldo’s record mattered to him, Messi explained that it doesn’t really matter that much to him anymore, and that at this stage of his career, he has achieved a lot and he doesn’t focus on that anymore. The 7 time Ballon d’Or winner recently won the wins Ligue 1 Foreign Player Award of the 2022/23 season, and now that the next Ballon d’Or is approaching, fans are routing for him to win the award for the 8th time. Though, Messi has stated that he is no longer interested in winning the Ballon d’Or in his career. He noted that winning the FIFA World Cup was his ultimate goal.
As for his club football story, after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired this summer, he has confirmed that he would now be joining Inter Miami instead of his former club Barcelona where he previously played for almost 20 years. His decision to choose Inter Miami over Barcelona came as a result of the way the club had treated him in the past, failing to extend his contract with LaLiga, due to which Messi had to resort for a free transfer to PSG. He recently revealed in an interview that though Barcelona showed keen interest on getting Messi back into their side, he still feared the same treatment and chose to go the other way and avoid a repeat of the past.
