"We may not see players like them for another 30 years" - Armenia star makes Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi claim ahead of Portugal clash

Armenian midfielder Eduard Spertsyan believes that the world is unlikely to see anyone like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the next 30 years. The two superstars of modern football have dominated football for almost two decades.

The Portuguese superstar currently plies his trade in the Middle East with Al-Nassr, while the Argentine magician is in Inter Miami's books. Both have achieved tremendous success with club and country in their career and have elevated the benchmark of football excellence.

Portugal and Armenia have been drawn in UEFA Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, alongside Hungary and the Republic of Ireland. The West Asian country face Cristiano Ronaldo and Co on September 6 at the Republican Stadium.

Speaking ahead of the tie to Spherts, Spertsyan said that he will try to exchange shirts with the 40-year-old after the game.

“I’m looking forward to the Portugal match and I don’t like comparing Messi and Ronaldo, as both are unique in their own way to me. We may not see players like them for another 30 years. I’ll try to exchange shirts with Cristiano after the match,” said Spertsyan.

Lionel Messi famously won the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina. La Albiceleste have already secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and face Venezuela on September 4 and Ecuador on September 9 in the World Cup qualifiers.

How many Ballon d'Ors have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi won in their career?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d'Or unlike anything the world has seen before. Now in the twilight of their esteemed careers, their record in the coveted prize remains untouched.

The Portuguese has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his career. He first got his hands on the award in 2008, during his first stint with Manchester United.

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 and proceeded to win the top prize in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times in his career.

La Pulga's first win was in 2009 with Barcelona, and he would retain it for the next three years. The Argentine also won the coveted prize with the Catalans in 2015 and 2019.

Messi moved to Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) in 2021, and won his seventh Ballon d'Or later that year. His final win was in 2023 with Inter Miami.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit