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Former Germany goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller has opened up about beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He recalled facing the Portuguese superstar more than the Argentine, admitting that it was always a challenge.
Weidenfeller was on the bench when Germany beat Portugal 4-0 in the group stage, where Cristiano Ronaldo's side exited the tournament. The Germans defeated Lionel Messi's Argentina in the final, with Mario Gotze scoring the only goal.
Speaking to BolaVIP, Weidenfeller said that youngsters were surprised to hear that he had played against the legendary duo. He admitted that it is a proud moment for him to face Ronaldo and Messi, adding that Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho were also in the same category for him. He said:
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"I had the chance to play against maybe the two biggest players in the world, Messi and Ronaldo, and also I played against the Brazilian Ronaldo and Ronaldinho too. But look, just recently when I met some kids and youth players, everybody asked me, 'Did you even play against Ronaldo?' I say, yes. 'Lionel Messi?' Yes. And they couldn't believe it, you know. I said, yes, I played against both. And yeah, it made me proud, and I'm very thankful to have had the chance to play in big football matches. So…yeah, of course, both guys are amazing to play against. "
Recalling the infamous incident with Ronaldo during Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, Weidenfeller said that he always found it a challenge to face the Al-Nassr superstar and said:
"I had the chance to play against Ronaldo a lot more than Messi. And of course, when Ronaldo saw me, you know what happened. So we always had big, big matches against Real Madrid, big matches against Juventus. And with Portugal against Germany. So it was always a challenge, and it was always amazing to have had these chances to play against him."
Roman Weidenfeller's Borussia Dortmund came to Santiago Bernabeu in the 2012/13 Champions League semifinal with a 4-1 lead. Sergio Ramos scored in the 88th minute to make it 4-3 on aggregate, but the goalkeeper was unwilling to let go of the ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted wrestling the German for the ball for the second time in the game, after the goalkeeper picked up a booking for doing the same after the first goal. The Bundesliga side held on for a 4-3 aggregate win, but ended up losing to Bayern Munich in the final.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in the twilight of their careers
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have moved away from European football and are now playing the final years of their career away from the top 5 leagues in the world. The Portuguese superstar moved to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr in 2022, while the Argentine joined MLS side Inter Miami in 2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo has extended his deal at Al-Nassr this year, keeping him at the club until 2027. He has scored 98 goals for the Saudi side in 111 matches, and is close to becoming the first footballer to score at least 100 goals for four different clubs.
Lionel Messi is yet to sign a new deal with Inter Miami, but has been in talks for the last few months. His current contract expires at the end of the season.
