Ballon d'Or winner Rodri claims 32-year-old forward is on par with Lionel Messi as he names toughest opponents
Ballon d'Or winner Rodri has compared Liverpool's Mohamed Salah with Lionel Messi, describing the Egyptian as his toughest opponent in the Premier League. The Manchester City midfielder became the first Ballon d'Or winner from Spain this year since Luis Suarez won it in 1960.
Messi, meanwhile, is widely considered one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. The Argentine veteran's repertoire of personal and collective accolades includes eight Ballons d'Or, six European Golden Boots, four UEFA Champions Leagues (although UEFA's official website states three), 10 LaLiga titles, two Copa America titles and one World Cup.
After bagging 704 goals across competitions in Europe, Lionel Messi is filling stadiums in the United States with the MLS outfit Inter Miami. The Argentine superstar has already registered 34 goals and 18 assists in 39 games for the Herons.
In an interview published in the Mirror on Wednesday, November 13, Rodri compared the Argentine genius with Mohamed Salah. When asked about the player he found the most difficult to face in by a reporter in Spain, he replied:
"I’d say Leo (Messi), and in the Premier League, Salah in his prime. Going to Anfield is like a knife, it’s really tough."
Mohamed Salah has established himself as one of the titans of the Premier League since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017. In 366 games across competitions for the Reds, Salah has recorded 221 goals and 99 assists. He is Liverpool's third all-time highest goalscorer behind Ian Rush (339) and Roger Hunt (264).
The Egyptian superstar has had a great start to the 2024-25 season, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists in 17 games. Liverpool currently lead both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League tables and have lost just one game across competitions under new boss Arne Slot.
Rodri claimed that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo congratulated him after his Ballon d'Or win
After securing the 2024 Ballon d'Or at the Théâtre du Châtelet on October 28, Rodri claimed that none of the recent Ballon d'Or winners came forward to congratulate him. The list included Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - the two most decorated Ballon d'Or winners of the generation.
Messi and Ronaldo established an uncontested duopoly over the award during their primes, winning it 13 times between them. While Messi has eight Ballons d'Or, Ronaldo has five.
In a recent interview with Diario AS (via @MadridXtra on X), Rodri said:
Messages from previous Ballon d'Or winners? Let me check... There are none from Messi, Cristiano, Modrić or Benzema (laughs)."
Rodri was one of the standout players in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City last season, winning the Premier League, the Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. He was also instrumental in helping Spain win Euro 2024 and was declared Player of the Tournament after La Roja defeated England in the final.