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Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson once shared his take on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate. The duo's age-old rivalry has been a point of contention in football over the last two decades.
Despite leaving European football around two years ago, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain among the best players in the world. Their rivalry reached its peak between 2009 and 2018, when Messi was at Barcelona and Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The two icons faced each other at least once each season, further intensifying their two-decade-long feud.
In a 2023 interview with The Telegraph, Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson snubbed Lionel Messi to choose Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol. He said (via Everything Chelsea):
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"When I was growing up, I loved Cristiano Ronaldo. I had his name on a shirt that I always wore. Not an actual shirt because they’re expensive, so you don’t buy them. But I had a shirt that I wrote '7, Ronaldo' on with a pen. I did it myself when I was a kid. I would pretend to be him."
The Argentine legend is currently representing Inter Miami in the FIFA Club World Cup, having qualified for the Round of 16. Meanwhile, the Portuguese icon led his country to their second UEFA Nations League title earlier this month.
"We are two normal people" - When Lionel Messi discussed his age-old rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
In an interview with DS Sports, Lionel Messi commented on his well-known rivalry with Ronaldo. His views came after Inter Miami's recent 2-1 win against Porto in the FIFA Club World Cup. He said (via Sports Illustrated):
"I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he's had and continues to have, because he's still competing at the highest level. he competition with him was on the pitch. Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Obviously, as always, everything stayed on the field. Off the pitch, we are two normal people. We're not friends, obviously, because we don't spend time together, but we've always treated each other with a lot of respect."
Lionel Messi will next face his former club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has yet to sign a new deal with Al-Nassr but is expected to stay at the club.
