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9 months ago
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Even though Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi might not be direct opponents on the pitch any longer, the rivalry between the two continues.
In that sense, the past 12-15 months have been very interesting in terms of how their career trajectories have gone.
Lionel Messi went on to win the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in December 2022 and then lifted the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain before signing for Inter Miami last summer. Having joined the MLS outfit, the Barcelona legend even led them to their first trophy ever.
As for Cristiano, the Portuguese icon was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup by Morocco, before he left Manchester United for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia in January last year.
After enduring a frustrating start in the Middle East, Ronaldo has picked up the pace and ended the year on a strong note with a great number of goals.
But, when it came to the biggest honours of football for 2023, the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s The Best awards, it was Messi who came out on top, even over the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
That, apparently, has not gone down too well with Ronaldo, as he aimed shots at Messi and the awards during a recent interview with Portuguese publication Record.
As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Cristiano said: “Ballon d’Or and The Best are losing credibility. It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappé… but the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive.”
“You’ve to consider the entire season. The numbers are facts,” he added.
This is not the first time that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar has expressed his frustration over the matter, having liked social media posts criticising Messi’s triumphs in the past.
Messi and Ronaldo will get another opportunity to go head-to-head on the pitch when Inter Miami and Al Nassr lock horns in an international friendly on February 1.
