Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi engage in battle of wits in training
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi simply cannot resist the opportunity to outdo each other. The modern-day legends returned to training with Juventus and Barcelona earlier this week and after a few days of simple warm-ups, things began to reach boiling point.
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have always been known for their extraterrestrial abilities on the pitch. Their teammates have always claimed that the duo is a nightmare to face in training. The likes of Carles Puyol and Rio Ferdinand have been left red-faced on several occasions against the dynamic duo.
Last week, Lionel Messi participated in Barcelona's innovative training sessions organised by Quique Setien. The Barcelona talisman was seen exhibiting excellent ball control and showing that a good header is also a part of his skill set.
Lionel Messi is not particularly known for his aerial ability, but his training chops seem to be as alien-like as ever.
Also check out: Messi vs Ronaldo complete stats
What Lionel Messi can do, Cristiano Ronaldo can do better
Cristiano Ronaldo, who also resumed training with Juventus earlier this week, went one step further and pull off a magic trick that the likes of Ronaldinho and Rivellino would be proud of.
During his training session with Juventus, the Portuguese superstar used his wand of a right foot to neatly lob the ball into a basket a considerable distance away with astonishing precision.
Cristiano Ronaldo has never been averse to competing with Lionel Messi. While the two remain cordial off the pitch, their heavily debated rivalry seems to burn brighter with every passing season.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been competing with each other in a different stratosphere from the rest for over a decade now and are set to maintain the status quo for a few more years.
While the superstars might be past their peak, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi seem particularly intent on giving up any time soon. The duo is still a country mile ahead of every other player in the world of football.
Also check out: Messi vs Ronaldo complete stats
Lionel Messi is currently the captain of Barcelona and continues to be their best player and lord saviour. With La Liga set to resume in the coming weeks, Barcelona faces stiff competition from arch-rivals Real Madrid and maintain a slim lead of 2 points at the top of the table. The Catalans will seek inspiration from Lionel Messi and the Argentine genius seems as intent as ever on providing it.
Juventus, on the other hand, finds itself in a rather peculiar situation. The reigning Italian champions are accustomed to sweeping the Serie A title with a mere wave of the hand.
This season, however, Juventus faces stiff competition from an inspired Lazio outfit and will need the talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo to bail them out.
Despite playing in different leagues, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi find themselves in similar situations with problems that only they can solve. It has become more evident than ever that no amount of distance that compromise the intensity of the rivalry of two of the best players in football history.