What Messi Said When Asked if He’d Like To Play on the Same Team As Ronaldo

• Lionel Messi has been open about his thoughts on the possibility of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo one day
• Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football, with the Argentine claiming eight Ballon d'Ors and Ronaldo five
• Together, they’ve won 13 awards, as their rivalry reached its height while leading Barcelona and Real Madrid to the top of global football

Lionel Messi previously made his stance clear when asked about the possibility of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi is widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, holding the record with eight Ballon d'Ors, three more than any other player.

The Argentina captain's longtime rival, Ronaldo, trails with five, the most recent of which he won in 2017.

Their legendary rivalry was at its peak during their time in La Liga, with Messi representing Barcelona and Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid.

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Despite the fierce competition, Messi once admitted he could see a future where he and the Portuguese star played together.

In 2015, when asked if he'd be open to teaming up with Ronaldo, Messi responded via Mirror Sports:

"Yes, of course. I always like to play with the best, and he is one of them. I think it will be difficult for us to play in the same team, but obviously I would like to.

"I was lucky enough to play and participate with many very good players and, obviously, I would also like to do it with him."

Could Messi and Ronaldo play together?

The chances of Messi and Ronaldo playing together now seem slim.

Ronaldo, 39, currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, while his arch-nemesis Messi plays for Inter Miami, alongside ex-Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.

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Messi and Ronaldo miss out on Ballon d'Or shortlist

For the first time since 2003, neither Messi nor Ronaldo was included in the 2024 Ballon d'Or shortlist, signalling that their era of dominance in world football may be coming to a close, despite Messi's Copa America triumph with Argentina this past summer.

Ronaldo names Messi is the best he's seen live

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Ronaldo previously named Messi as the best player he's ever seen live, though he admitted he would have preferred to choose himself.

In 2022, TV presenter and journalist Piers Morgan said that Ronaldo privately admitted to him that Lionel Messi was the greatest player he had ever seen—though the Al-Nassr star stopped short of acknowledging the Argentine as superior to himself.

Source: YEN.com.gh