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#3 “We might not be friends because we’ve never shared a dressing room together, but there’s no problem (between us).” (2019)
Due to the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have never played for the same team, the duo only 'meet' at award shows like the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
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Messi and Ronaldo have made the Ballon d'Or a 'personal' race since the Portuguese won his first award in 2008. Ronaldo has won four more Ballon d'Or awards since then, the last of them coming in 2017, while Messi has racked up a staggering six.
During an interview in 2019, as reported by Barca Times, Messi admitted that he was not 'friends' with Ronaldo. But the Argentine also revealed that he had no 'problems' with the Portuguese, whom he regularly sees at award shows.
#2 "I would accept an invitation for dinner with Ronaldo" (2019)
In the same interview in 2019, as reported by Barca Times, Messi was asked if he would accept a dinner invitation from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentine replied:
“We actually spoke with each other for quite a long time at the most recent show. I don’t know if there will be a dinner because I don’t know if our paths will cross for obvious reasons, each one of us has our own life and our own commitments”.
With Messi a free agent after his contract with Barcelona ran out this summer and Ronaldo's future at Juventus looking uncertain, there is hope, albeit fleeting, that the two superstars might play for the same team in the near future before they hang up their boots.
#1 “If we played together, I think I would pass the ball to him" (2019)
Ronaldo tallied exactly 50 goals in all competitions a season during his nine-season stay with Real Madrid. Considering Ronaldo's stellar exploits for club and country, Messi had no qualms in admitting the Portuguese's predatory instincts.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo in 2019, as reported by Hindustan Times, Messi said that he would have passed the ball to Ronaldo had the duo played together. He said:
“If we played together, I think I would (have) pass(ed) the ball to him, yes … Real without Ronaldo have lost many goals, but it was obvious it would (have) happened. Not only goals, but Cristiano also brings many other things. If a team loses a player who scored 50 goals per season, it’s noticeable. Real Madrid have great players, but Cristiano scored 50 goals per season."
You may also like: 10 things Cristiano Ronaldo has said about Lionel Messi over the years.
