Isaac Darko
September 24, 2023 at 4:58 AM
Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted there is one Lionel Messi attribute he wishes to possessThe superstar duo are widely regarded as the football GOATsThe pair have won 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them
Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo once acknowledged that he would take Lionel Messi’s left foot when discussing the Argentine icon’s attributes.
The pair engaged in a Q&A session during the 2015 Ballon d’Or ceremony, fielding a range of questions.
One particularly intriguing query focused on the qualities each player would choose to adopt from their counterpart.
Cristiano Ronaldo once admitted that he would take longtime rival Lionel Messi’s left foot out of the Argentine icon’s qualities, Photos by Francois Nel/Carmen Mandato
Source: Getty Images
Messi commended Ronaldo and emphasised that the Real Madrid legend possessed numerous qualities that any player would aspire to attain.
In contrast, the Portuguese icon provided a more precise response, saying via GOAL:
« Messi’s left foot isn’t bad! Maybe the left foot. I’m not too bad using my left but maybe his is slightly better. »
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Ronaldo’s desire for Messi’s left foot is quite understandable. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has registered a remarkable 444 left-footed goals in his illustrious career, as reported by Transfermarkt.
Many of these goals have been truly spectacular, with 116 of them sealing victories for his teams.
In contrast, the Al Nassr superstar has tallied significantly fewer left-footed goals throughout his remarkable career, trailing by 323 goals.
The five-time Ballon d’Or awardee has etched his name as the all-time leading goalscorer in both club and international football, with 259 of his 722 club goals attributed to his potent right foot.
Messi names the only player on his level
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been at the forefront of global football dominance, with an astounding 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them.
The Argentine has won seven times while the Portuguese has earned five.
However, when questioned about a player he deems on par with his own greatness, Messi had only one name in his thoughts: his famed rival, Ronaldo.
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Sports Brief also reported that in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo hailed Messi and Zinedine Zidane as two of the greatest he had ever witnessed.
The bombshell sit-down, which contributed to the Portuguese veteran’s bitter split from Manchester United, also included a number of fascinating Ronaldo comments.