Messi: My Duel With Ronaldo Was Special
16 January, 2020
After years of rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the FC Barcelona superstar has now opened up on his battle for supremacy with his former Real Madrid nemesis.
For the better part of a decade, Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry in Spain dominated European football, with the duo creating a monopoly for the world's most prestigious awards.
That rivalry, which included a combined 11 Ballon d'Or titles, simmered down to an extent following Ronaldo's departure for Juventus in 2018, but Messi believes the competition they shared will never be forgotten.
"It was a special duel and it will remain forever because it lasted many years and it is not easy to maintain certain levels for a long time. Plus, the teams we played in were also very demanding, both Real Madrid and Barca, the two best in the world," Messi told DAZN.
"Competing on an equal footing for so many years, I think it will remain forever. The sporting duel between us was very nice on a personal level and I think people had fun too, whether it was from Madrid or from Barca, or even only football fans in general."
Messi also shared his belief that El Clasico between Real and Barca felt more important when Ronaldo was still playing in LaLiga.
"Obviously, when Cristiano was at Real Madrid, the matches were always special," the Argentine added.
"Against Real, they are always particular matches for the meaning, but when Cristiano was there they became much more special. But they are stages that have now passed, that we have experienced, but now look ahead and see what we have now."
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za