“Then he was winning the Ballon d'Or" - When Gerard Pique spoke about Lionel Messi's stance on Cristiano Ronaldo

During an interview in 2024, former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué claimed that Lionel Messi never focused on competing against Cristiano Ronaldo or winning individual accolades. The former Spanish defender played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United before joining Barcelona, where he shared the dressing room with Lionel Messi.

Piqué and Messi played 506 matches together over 13 seasons, resulting in 17 joint goal contributions. Addressing his former La Blaugrana teammate during an interview with talkSPORT last year, Piqué asserted that Messi is a team-focused player and he never gave attention to Cristiano Ronaldo's career.

The former Spanish defender also claimed that Lionel Messi always emphasised team accolades over individual awards. He said (via GOAL):

"He wasn't that type of guy. He was very team-focused, although he was getting all the first page in all the newspapers and radios and TV. At the end of the day, he was very close with all of us, and he was just focused on winning titles like the Champions League and kinds of things."

"At the end of the day because he was the best. Then he was winning the Ballon d'Or but it wasn't something that was a priority for him." He added.

Meanwhile, Gerard Piqué played 15 games alongside Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United. The Spaniard later joined Barcelona from United in July 2008. The two later faced each other numerous times in the El Clásico as the Portuguese forward arrived at Santiago Bernabeu from Old Trafford in 2009.

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When Gerard Piqué had to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

During an interview in 2023, Gerard Piqué picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the sport for almost two decades, winning numerous individual and team accolades.

However, during an interview at John Nellis's YouTube channel, the former Barcelona star was asked to make his pick. Piqué lauded the two football icons for their rivalry while praising Messi for his talent and Ronaldo for his hard work.

Nevertheless, while making the choice, he picked the Argentine superstar. He said (via GIVEMRSPORT):

"Well, it's true that the fight between the two in the last decade was quite impressive because both of them did incredibly well."

"I think that in terms of talent, Messi is number one, for sure. It's true that Cristiano has worked very hard to try and compete and fight for the first spot, but if you see the careers of both... I would choose Messi, for sure."

Piqué, who retired from international football after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, pulled the curtain on his illustrious professional career in 2022.