“I still think Messi was desperate to beat Ronaldo” - Carragher offers opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi rivalry

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has shared a rather unpopular opinion in the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi debate, which has been going on for two decades.

Messi and Ronaldo built a hegemony over world football, making it nearly impossible for any other player to become the best in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United for Real Madrid, where he directly faced Lionel Messi at Barcelona for nearly a decade.

Sports pundits, fans, and even celebrities in other sports have consistently shared their views about who the better player is between the duo. Now, Jamie Carragher has given his own opinion in an interview with Football365, revealing that Messi was desperate to beat Cristiano Ronaldo for important awards.

“People think of it more from a Ronaldo point of view that he was all about himself, but I still think Messi was desperate for those Ballons d’Or as well and to beat Ronaldo, no doubt about it."

Carragher went on to discuss the duo's superstar status worldwide, adding:

"You have fans around the world now who support players, rather than clubs. You look at the social media numbers – players are sometimes bigger than clubs; certainly those two.

"It’s the first thing anyone speaks about when they sign for a club – the social media for the club has gone through the roof, the sales of memorabilia and shirts has gone up. When he was at Man United, it almost felt as if Ronaldo was bigger than the club in some ways."

He looked at the future, raising questions about the relationships between supporters, superstars, and their clubs.

"I’m always keen to see what the next generation of supporters or best players in the world will be like and whether it sticks that way; whether a supporter follows a player around to his other clubs," Carragher continued.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue their superstardom across the world

Lionel Messi left Barcelona after they could not renew his contract due to financial issues, and he opted for a move to Paris Saint-Germain. After two years and two Ligue 1 titles at the French giants, he decided to conclude his stay in Europe entirely, moving to Inter Miami in the USA.

This has been a worthy move, with Messi winning the Leagues Cup with the Herons. He is currently leading them as they sit at the top of the MLS Supporters Shield with nine goals in seven games.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a less straight-forward exit from Europe after a public fallout with Manchester United before mutually terminating his contract. It took a little over a month, but he eventually accepted the offer from Saudi Arabia, where he has scored 49 league goals since January 2023.