“The day they retire football won’t be the same” - Nani sends message to critics who hit out at Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Former Manchester United attacker Nani has shared praise for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo while speaking in a recent interview. The ex-Portugal star was critical of those who come after the duo, and says one will only realise their true value to the game once the pair retire.

While Nani never played alongside Messi, he has worked closely with Ronaldo at Manchester United and for Portugal. Speaking about these two legendary figures, he said (via Ojogo):

“He's a machine, he's a different player and you can tell by the level he's reached in football. We criticise Ronaldo and Messi a lot, but the day they retire football won't be the same. The fact that they've dropped off the radar of the best clubs made a difference straight away. We have to make the most of it while they're still on the pitch.”

Ronaldo and Nani played 131 matches across competitions with each other for club and country, bagging 14 joint goal contributions in the process. The Al-Nassr forward has achieved a fair bit in his career, winning five Ballon d'Or titles and the same number of UEFA Champions League trophies.

Meanwhile, Messi is three ahead of his Portuguese rival as far Ballon d'Or prizes are concerned, but has claimed the Champions League only three times. He's currently representing Inter Miami in the MLS and, much like Ronaldo, seems to be in the final stages of his career.

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Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano calls Lionel Messi the GOAT, snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo in the process

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami side were recently competing in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they suffered a round-of-16 exit. However, the Argentine's brilliance was on show, as he helped his side qualify from the group stages.

In one group outing against Porto, Messi netted a brilliant winner, which meant that the game ended 2-1 in favor of the Herons. Seemingly declaring Messi the GOAT and snubbing Cristiano Ronaldo in the process, Javier Mascherano said after the game (via Football365):

“In football terms, what else can I add? He’s the best player ever to play this sport. But his determination to win is always surprising Even in the last minutes, when everyone is tired, he continued to support the team in any way he could.”

Unfortunately, Messi and Co. saw their campaign come to an end after they were comprehensively defeated by Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 in the final 16 on Sunday, June 29.