'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcQAAICAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwUABBEGBzQBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFEQEAAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhEAAwUhMVL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMa+FeXofS+okiutd93Xr7J0iiZxwxxdKoehgQS3T0HIy5h8NBcWEUVTcIibcyoosdfgAcgD8mMYHTJlCS0pOvD5HKnJBHkN8CyMUovzq8//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar has taken a dig at new Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that he always knew Lionel Messi was the better player.
According to the Daily Mail, Aboubakar is set to leave Al Nassr in the aftermath of the 37-year-old’s arrival. As per the Saudi Pro League rulebook, a team can only have eight foreign players on their roster.
With Ronaldo joining the ranks, Al Nassr have to let go of one of their foreign players, and centre-forward Aboubakar seems to be the most obvious choice. The Mail has added that Aboubakar has mutually agreed to terminate his contract with the club and is set to receive a hefty payout.
Before leaving the Saudi Pro League club, Aboubakar has supposedly hit the Portuguese where it hurt the most, calling Messi better than him. According to Mundo Deportivo, Aboubakar has said that he now knows from experience that Messi is a better player than Ronaldo.
“I always thought that Messi was better than Ronaldo, but after I had practice with him, I knew I was right,” opined the 30-year-old forward.
Aboubakar has played 34 games for Al Nassr since arriving them from Besiktas in July 2021, scoring 12 times.
Messi and Ronaldo set to meet in friendly clash in Saudi Arabia
The two greatest players of this generation are set to square off in Saudi Arabia on January 19, when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain travel to the Kingdom for a friendly. The Parisians are set to bring their entire roster of superstars, including the Argentine, to take on an all-star XI comprising players from Saudi clubs Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
Ronaldo, who'd currently serving a two-match ban for knocking the phone off an Everton fan’s hands in April 2022, could make his Saudi Arabian debut in that game. The former Real Madrid superstar’s first competitive game for Al Nassr could come against Saudi Pro League rivals Ettifaq on January 22.
The pair’s last meeting came in the group stage of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League when Messi was at Barcelona and Ronaldo played for Juventus. Barca won 2-0 in their first meeting, while Juve won the reverse fixture 3-0. Ronaldo was on the scoresheet in Juve’s triumph at the Camp Nou.
Messi has scored 26 times against Ronaldo's teams and enjoyed 16 wins. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, meanwhile, has bagged 21 goals against his arch-rival’s teams, racking up 11 victories.
