The Euro 2024 winner beat Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. to achieve the honor at a prestigious ceremony in Paris in October, becoming the first Premier League player to win the Ballon d’Or since Ronaldo did in 2008 during his time at Manchester United. This year’s ceremony was particularly historic as it was the first since 2003 that neither Messi nor the Portuguese made the final list of 30 finalists. The two legends have shared an incredible rivalry over the past two decades, with Ronaldo winning five titles and Messi eight – a record in itself.
Rodri shared his experiences from his La Liga days at Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, when he had the responsibility of containing Ronaldo and Messi as they terrorized the defenses of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Rodri votes for Messi
Speaking candidly in an interview with El Hormiguero, the Spanish midfielder said : “Lionel Messi is without a doubt the greatest player of all time. Cristiano managed to match Messi without innate talent. But those of us who have played against them can see the difference. We didn’t want Cristiano to get into the box because he was deadly there. But with Messi, danger was everywhere on the pitch. »
He added: “ When Messi had the ball, we said to ourselves: “Oh, the danger”. When I started playing against him, I would try to take the ball from him, and he would dodge you like you were a bull in the arena. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen. »
