“I’ve a lot of money, scored more than 750 goals” - When ex-Real Madrid star revealed what Cristiano Ronaldo told him after Lionel Messi comparison

Former Real Madrid star Antonio Cassano revealed the details of a conversation between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo over his Lionel Messi comparisons in 2021. The pair of superstars have been locked in a battle for supremacy for the best part of two decades, winning accolades all over.

Back in 2021, Cassano revealed on Christian Vieri's Twitch channel BoboTV that Ronaldo had reached out to him on WhatsApp over some of his comments on air. He said that the Portuguese great asked that he be shown more respect, and pointed out that he had scored five times as many goals as he did.

“Cristiano wrote to me on WhatsApp asking for more respect after everything he’s won, all the goals he’s scored and for what he represents. I’m not afraid to tell the truth, I’ll face the whole world, from the Pope to the last person on earth. I told Cristiano Ronaldo that it’s not disrespect to say that only one Ronaldo exists and it’s the Fenomeno, and that Messi is much better than him. That’s not disrespect.

I was telling the truth, facts, that Messi is much better than him and there’s only one Ronaldo. I called Gigi Buffon and asked him if he had given my number to someone. He confirmed that he gave my number to the press officer [at Juventus] and he gave it to Cristiano. He sent me messages saying: ‘I have a lot of money, I’ve scored more than 750 goals – you’ve only scored 150 in your entire career.’ I said what I think and it’s just a personal opinion.

I thought about why a person does something like that. Cristiano Ronaldo has everything, he should live serene, calm and relaxed instead of listening to what people say about him. He should follow Lionel Messi’s example – he’s a person who doesn’t give a damn what the world thinks", he said via Football Espana.

Cristiano Ronaldo was on the books of Manchester United at the time, and has since moved to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr. He has scored more than 100 goals for the Saudi giants since his transfer in January 2023, while Lionel Messi now plays for Inter Miami.

Ronaldo remains proud of his goal record as he closes in on the 1,000-goal mark and could become the first player to officially reach this tally. The 40-year-old has already scored 946 goals in his career, and is aiming to pass 1,000 goals.

Pep Guardiola likens Erling Haaland to Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed Erling Haaland, likening him to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Norwegian striker was on target as City claimed a 5-1 win over Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday, earning rave reviews.

Guardiola told reporters after the game against Burnley that he considers the former Borussia Dortmund star to be similar in terms of goalscoring to Lionel Messi and Ronaldo. He praised the longevity of the rival duo, but pointed out that Haaland is still young and has time to improve.

"In terms of goals, yeah, he should be compared to Messi & Ronaldo. At his age, maybe the numbers are even better, but remember, Messi & Cristiano did it for 15–20 years. Erling is still young, but in terms of goals, he’s at that level", he said via TNT Sports.

Erling Haaland has been in sensational form since the start of the 2025-26 season, scoring eight goals in only six appearances in the Premier League. The 25-year-old has now overtaken Manchester United legend Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer to become the highest-scoring Norwegian in Premier League history.