"All free-kick goals and pure luck" - When Sergio Aguero took a cheeky dig at Cristiano Ronaldo with Lionel Messi comparison
Back in 2023, Sergio Aguero took a cheeky dig at Cristiano Ronaldo when he compared the legendary Portuguese striker with Lionel Messi. It is no surprise that the Manchester City legend prefers Messi to Ronaldo, having spent all of his career playing alongside Messi for Argentina.
The two players came through the Albiceleste's youth system, both playing for the Under-20 side back in 2005. By the 2006-07 season, they were both part of the national team, and they played together until 2021, when Aguero retired from football.
Last year, he spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring, claiming that the Portuguese striker's quality in front of goal was rather questionable. On a Twitch live stream, Aguero argued that Ronaldo's goals were "pure luck" in comparison to Lionel Messi's (via GOAL):
"Look where he scores the goal from. Come on. All free-kick goals and pure luck. Messi's are all at the angle, stupid. But what does [Ronaldo] do? Goalkeeper's fault."
He placed Ronaldo's goalscoring below those of other Real Madrid legends Raul and Karim Benzema:
"I think Raul has better goals, [Karim] Benzema I think he has better ones."
Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 907 career goals. He remains the only player to have crossed the 900-goal mark, with Lionel Messi close behind at 849 goals.
Midfielder who has played with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shares thoughts on GOAT rivalry
Former Barcelona and Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic has shared his thoughts about the unending debate about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two legends are deemed the best players in the world, with many picking sides.
However, Pjanic, who shared a dressing room with each player, does not want to pick sides. The CKSA Moscow player explained (via Barca Universal):
“It’s difficult to answer, but of course, these are the best players we have seen in the last 20 years. There is no doubt about it. I had the opportunity to play with each of them and I loved the way they played.
"I was personally convinced of their professionalism. I had the pleasure of sharing the same locker room with them.”
Pjanic played 77 matches together with Ronaldo at Juventus, resulting in seven joint-goal participation. Meanwhile, he played 24 matches with Messi while at Barcelona.
Ronaldo and Messi have both left Europe to continue their careers on other continents. The Portuguese legend opted for a move to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr in January 2023. By the summer of the same year, his Argentine counterpart decided on a switch to the USA, where he plays for Inter Miami in the MLS.