Cristiano Ronaldo admits Lionel Messi has made him a better player. He says that while healthy, their rivalry is not unique and is common in the world of sports.
Anyone that has ever watched football in the last decade or so has been mesmerized with the skill and talent of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Luka Modric went home with the Ballon D’or last time around but before that Ronaldo and Messi had a vice like grip on football’s most prestigious individual award for 10 years!
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Both Ronaldo and Messi are easily the best players of this generation. Had they been born years apart; they would easily be hailed the best. However, fortunately/unfortunately they happen to play in the same era.
While this has meant that the football world has seen a divide, the likes of which has never been seen before in the sport, it also means that we get to see two masters in action as they pile the misery on opponent defences.
The fans may passionately argue and jump on each other’s throat but the players themselves do not share the same hostility. In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone on to claim that it is this rivalry that has made him a better player.
Cristiano Ronaldo admits Lionel Messi has made him a better player
“I really admire the career he has had and from his side, he has already talked of the disappointment when I left Spain because it was a rivalry that he appreciated,” Ronaldo told TVI in Portugal.
“It’s a good rivalry but it’s not unique. Michael Jordan had rivalries in basketball, there was Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in Formula 1. The thing they all had in common is that they were healthy rivalries.”
“I have no doubt that Messi has made me a better player and vice-versa. When I am winning trophies it must sting him and it’s the same for me when he wins,” he said.
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“I have an excellent professional relationship because we have been sharing the same moments for 15 years.”
The Portuguese admitted that he had never shared a dinner with the Argentine Maestro before but outright denied any malevolence behind it.
“We’ve never had dinner together but I don’t see why we can’t in the future. I don’t see a problem with that.”
H/T- AFP
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