Lionel Messi News: "Ronaldo motivates me, I have a Whatsapp group with Neymar," says the Barcelona forward
What's the story?
In a recent interview with Fox Argentina, FC Barcelona's talismanic forward, Lionel Messi, insisted that he misses his counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo in the league.
The Argentine also revealed that he's still in touch with former teammate, Neymar Jr, who's PSG future is surrounded by numerous transfer speculations.
In case you didn't know..
Following a nine-year-long spell at the Spanish capital, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Italian outfit Juventus last summer.
Over the past decade, the two extraterrestrials have shared almost 1200 clu goals between them, apart from numerous collectives as well as individual titles, including ten Ballon d'Ors.
The Portuguese's departure to a new league has left the talismanic Barcelona forward with no competition in the league on the individual level.
Messi finished the La Liga with 36 goals and 13 assists registered to his name; the closest goalscorers were Karim Benzema and Luis Suarez with 21 goals each.
The heart of the matter
While on International duty for the preparation of Copa America, Lionel Messi spoke with Fox Argentina.
Speaking about his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Argentine sharpshooter said:
"He's a special player. The whole league misses him, including me. The healthy rivalry between Cristiano and I is something that you rarely see."
"There is no battle but a healthy one. Cristiano is a great player and of course, he motivates me to be even better."
Messi also spoke about his former teammate, Neymar Jr, who is being linked with a move back to the Camp Nou, this summer:
"Neymar is a phenomenon and yes, we continue to talk. The name of the group has something to do with South America … 'The Three Sudacas' or something like that."
Talking about his future at the Camp Nou, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner added:
"I don't know. Perhaps one day I will play in the Argentinian league."
"My dream as a child was to play for Newells in their stadium"
"The day I stop enjoying football is the day I will end my career”
What's next?
Following a heartbreaking exit from the Champions League and a shocking loss to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final, Lionel Messi has joined the Argentina squad to prepare for the Copa America 2019.