Two of the best gamers within the historical past of the gorgeous sport, objective machines Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo loved a storied rivalry throughout their respective La Liga stints at FC Barcelona and Actual Madrid. Whereas Argentine stalwart Messi was the driving drive of the Catalan giants at Camp Nou, Portugal captain Ronaldo remained Actual Madrid’s go-to-man for nearly a decade.
Arch-rivals Messi and Ronaldo additionally dominated the Ballon d’Or awards for 10 years. Messi gained six of his document seven Ballon d’or titles at Barcelona. 5-time winner Ronaldo was topped the perfect participant on this planet on 4 events throughout his stint at Actual Madrid. Speaking a few lesser-known incident in regards to the Ballon d’Or awards, Messi’s former teammate Dani Alves has revealed that he had a ‘scuffle’ with Ronaldo throughout the ceremony of the celebrated occasion.
ALSO READ: Nations League: Cristiano Ronaldo suffers horrific damage scare as CR7 leaves pitch coated in blood – Watch
Recalling the incident on a podcast with UNAM Pumas team-mate Efrian Valverde, Alves stated that Ronaldo as soon as refused to greet him as a result of Clasico rivalry. “There got here a time due to the rivalry that I’d go over to greet him [Ronaldo] and he would not greet me,” the previous Barcelona defender stated. Ronaldo and Messi have lifted the well-known trophy a mixed 12 out of 13 occasions between 2008 and 2021.
“There was an argument that by no means got here out, however within the dressing room of the Ballon d’Or ceremony we had a scuffle, I greeted everybody and he did not greet me due to what the Barcelona-Actual Madrid rivalry was producing exterior. However how can I not respect a man who has achieved all the pieces primarily based on arduous work and placing his coronary heart and soul into it?,” he added.
Messi will defend his crown on the 2022 version of the Ballon d’Or awards which is able to happen on the Theatre du Chatelet in October. Messi’s Ballon d’Or arch-rival Ronaldo has not gained a golden ball since 2017. Speaking about Messi, the veteran Brazilian defender claimed that the Paris Saint Germain (PSG) star belongs to ‘one other world’. “He was born with the expertise to play soccer and to be in one other world that solely he can attain,” Alves added.