It is not Messi vs Ronaldo, it never has been: Messi

Lionel Messi has said that the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo is a creation of the media

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the greatest players ever to have graced the game of football. But there are always rumours flying around saying that both of them do not meet eye to eye. The fact that both of them play for arch rivals for Barcelona and Real Madrid does not help either.

The rumours get worse with the incessant comparison between the two by the fans, ex-players and experts alike. And then there is the whole Ballon d’Or nonsense. However, he said there is no rivalry between the two of them in an interview with a British weekly magazine, Shortlist.

“There is no rivalry. It’s something the media invented. We both want to do well for our clubs, it is not Messi vs Ronaldo, it never has been.”

When asked about why England can’t produce World Class players like Argentina, Messi thinks it is not true and pointed out the example of Manchester United Captain Wayne Rooney whom he consider as a World Class player. According to him, the Manchester United striker would have thrived in the Spanish League as well.

“I am not sure that it is true. If you look at the technical ability of a player like Wayne Rooney, he is as good as any player in Europe,” he replied. “Rooney has exceptional quality. Not just great technical ability, but also works very hard for his team. I’m sure Manchester United will never want to let him leave, though.“

What if Messi had gone to Arsenal

Messi feels that he would have been a different player had he signed for Arsenal who tried to lure him away Barcelona when he was 15. Arsenal manager, Wenger confirmed that he had tried to sign Pique, Fabregas and Messi from Barcelona when they were teenagers but was able to sign only Fabregas.

“It is hard to say, because my education would have been very different to what I have had at Barcelona, but the Premier League is obviously one of the best and most competitive in Europe.“ Messi said.

He reiterated that he does not wish to play anywhere else other than Barcelona as he owes everything to them.

Messi said, “Barcelona gave me everything, they took a chance on me when nobody else would. I never have any desire to play for anybody else, I will be here for as long as they want me.”

El Clasico or Argentina-Brazil

He also said that he could not choose between an El Classico match and an Argentina vs Brazil match. He also feels that winning a World Cup is the ultimate goal for a footballer.

“It is the ultimate goal in football, and it is still a dream I have. So many of my teammates at Barcelona have won it, and it is a dream to one day know what that feeling is like.” He was inconsolable after last year’s World Cup final defeat and that is something he said he will regret for the rest of his life.

Messi says that losing in the World Cup final is a regret he will carry for the rest of his life

“You move on from a defeat like that because you have to, but that loss will be a regret for all the players for the rest of our lives. You think about the chances we had that we didn’t take. I was not consolable after the final.”

Coming to the upcoming Copa America, he feels that it is not just about Argentina and Brazil as Uruguay, Colombia and Chile are also quite strong. But he is very much focused on winning Copa America after last year’s disappointments.

“We’ve had some great teams since we last won a trophy but have gone too long without winning. We came close in Brazil, but the World Cup is behind us now. The objective is to win Copa América.”