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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the best players to have ever competed in football.
While Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or six times, Ronaldo has won it on five occasions. With both players excelling at both the club and international level, the competition between them has always been productive and healthy.
The two men share over 1500 goals between them and fans have been privileged to witness the two greats in action.
However, the same cannot be said about their competitors. Not too many players have gotten the chance to measure themselves alongside these two legends.
It also has to be said that among those who did, some played a significant role in helping Messi and Ronaldo become the greats that they are today.
With that in mind, we take a look at some of the fortunate ones to have played with both Messi and Ronaldo:
#10 Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi joined Paris Saint Germain (PSG) from Inter Milan during the 2021-22 summer transfer window. With Messi also having signed with the Parisiens this season, Hakimi can add the Argentine superstar to the list of legendary names he's played with. Both men will be a lethal threat from the right side.
The Moroccan right back is a graduate of La Fabrica, Real Madrid's famous youth academy. While Hakimi spent the majority of his time on loan at different clubs, he played for Los Blancos during the 2017-18 season. During this period, he was lucky enough to play with Ronaldo as well.
#9 Keylor Navas
The Costa Rican goalkeeper is widely known for his memorable and successful stint at Real Madrid. He was part of Los Blancos squad that won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2015-16 and 2017-18. His five-year spell at Madrid also allowed him to spend a considerable amount of time with Ronaldo.
Navas joined Paris Saint Germain for the 2019-20 season and has played for them ever since. With Messi's transfer to PSG this season, the Costa Rican will be blessed to play alongside the great Argentine. Surely, he couldn't have dreamt of a better career!
#8 Miralem Pjanic
Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic was an integral part of Juventus as the former Lyon man spent four seasons with the Italian giants from 2016 to 2020. During this time, he witnessed first-hand Ronaldo playing for the Old Lady.
In the summer of 2020, Pjanic signed for Barcelona. And although he didn't get many games under his belt, he was one of the fortunate ones to have played with Messi. The 31-year-old joined Besiktas on loan this summer due to a lack of game time at Barcelona.
#7 Gonzalo Higuain
Gonzalo Higuain signed for Real Madrid in 2007 but we saw him at his best under manager Jose Mourinho between 2010 and 2013. During this time, the Real Madrid team was a potent threat every week and Higuain enjoyed some memorable moments on the pitch with Ronaldo.
The pair reunited again when Ronaldo joined Juventus in 2018. Higuain remains the only player fortunate to play with Ronaldo in two different teams at club level.
Higuain also played for the Argentine national team between 2009 and 2019, which brought him the pleasure of playing with Messi as well.
The 33-year old striker now plays for Inter Miami in the MLS.
#6 Deco
Deco was a delight to watch in his prime. The former Porto midfielder spent four seasons at Barcelona between 2004 and 2008, around the time Messi was introduced to the football world.
Having played alongside the Argentine for for seasons, Deco left to join Chelsea in 2008.
Being a Portuguese national, Deco had the opportunity to play with Ronaldo too.
#5 Paulo Dybala
Another Argentine on this list is Paulo Dybala. The forward gained recognition after performing well for Palermo in Serie A, contributing to 37 goals in 89 appearances. This helped him get an upgrade in his career when he signed for Juventus in 2015.
Dybala has been an integral part of the team, helping the Old Lady win Serie A five times over the last six seasons. In the process, he formed a very good partnership with Ronaldo while the Portuguese was at the club.
At the international level, Dybala has been unlucky when it comes to getting regular game time. Despite that, the forward has been lucky enough to train and learn from Messi. He will hope to play more with his Argentine compatriot before hanging up his boots.
#4 Carlos Tevez
Former West Ham United striker Carlos Tevez had a short stint at Manchester United when he played for the Red Devils for two seasons, from 2007-09. Not only was he fortunate to play with the likes of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but his contributions were crucial in helping them win the Champions League.
The trio of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney were a nuisance to deal with as they created havoc in the opposition's defense more often than not.
Tevez had the experience of playing with Messi at the international level. There were rumors that the pair did not get along well but Tevez came forward to deny them.
#3 Gerard Pique
Spanish centre-back Gerard Pique has legendary status at Barcelona, having played over 350 games for the Catalan giants. He graduated from the Barcelona academy and opted to join Manchester United in 2004. Despite having spent four years at United, including a year on loan at Real Zaragoza, Pique was only able to feature in 14 appearances for the Red Devils.
He was part of the squad that won the Champions League in the 2007-08 season. During those four years, Pique got to train and learn with a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
As far as playing with Messi is concerned, Pique has seen the Argentine become the absolute gem of the player he is. Pique has also won countless accolades both individually and for Barcelona. It is safe to say that both Pique and Messi share a strong bond, having played with each other for more than 10 years.
#2 Sergio Ramos
The word legendary isn't enough to describe the status of Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid. Having played in more than 450 appearances for Los Blancos, Ramos had a phenomenal career at the club. The former Sevilla man gave it his all over the course of his star-studded career during his 16 years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It was during this period that he played with Ronaldo. He was there when Ronaldo came and was there when he left. Ramos had a great rapport with Ronaldo as both players shared a strong winning mentality.
It was rumored the duo stopped talking to each other after Ronaldo left following an incident involving the Ballon d'Or in 2018. However, they were back on speaking terms in 2020 and everything seems fine now.
Surprisingly, the 35-year-old decided to leave Real Madrid and join Paris Saint Germain this summer, where he will now get to play with Messi. The Argentine had always been Ramos' arch rival due to the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The duo faced some heated moments on the pitch. Now that they are on the same side, it will be interesting to see how the pairing plays out!
#1 Angel di Maria
Angel Di Maria has had the most time on the field with Ronaldo and Messi. He was part of the dangerous counter-attacking squad under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. His link-up with Ronaldo back then was a delight to watch.
With his agility, dribbling skills, nimble footwork and amazing ability to create, Di Maria was one of the finest assist-makers back then.
Being an Argentine, Di Maria was already privileged to play with Messi at the international level. It's no secret that he rates Messi above Ronaldo. The Argentine playmaker was quite happy with the prospect of his compatriot joining PSG this summer. The two will now play together at both club and international level.
