“He is the player who made me feel the most angry” - Lionel Messi names Real Madrid star he always ‘clashed’ with while at Barcelona
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has named former Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos as the player who provoked him the most during his time with the Catalan giants. The Inter Miami maestro recently recalled his heated clashes with the defender in El Clasicos.
Two of the greatest football clubs in the world, Barcelona and Real Madrid, go head-to-head in El Clasico and the fixture rarely fails to produce headlines. Lionel Messi's tense clashes with Sergio Ramos were a constant for almost a decade.
Speaking on Abitare, the Inter Miami attacker recounted his face-offs with the now-Sevilla defender, saying:
“We had many clashes with Sergio Ramos, how many times did I argue… He is the player who made me feel the most angry. Then we were teammates, but we always clashed in the Clasico, they were intense matches.”
Lionel Messi's rivalry with Sergio Ramos ended in the summer of 2021 when they both left Spanish football. Interestingly, the duo ended up joining the same team as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) snapped up both players in the same transfer window.
The duo spent two years together at Parc des Princes, winning two Ligue 1 titles and one French Super Cup. Messi ended up joining Inter Miami in the 2023 summer window while Sergio Ramos left for Sevilla.
The Argentine remains contracted to Inter Miami, whereas the Spaniard's contract with Sevilla expires at the end of this month.
Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos's numbers for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively
Lionel Messi produced one of the greatest grass-to-grace stories ever witnessed at Barcelona. He was signed as a 13-year-old with a growth hormone disorder but managed to overcome all obstacles to establish himself as not only the finest player the club has produced, but also one of the greatest to play the game.
During his two-decade spell at Camp Nou, Lionel Messi played a whopping 788 games for Barcelona across all competitions, recording 672 goals and 303 assists. He helped the Blaugrana claim an incredible 34 trophies.
Sergio Ramos also attained a legendary status at Real Madrid. The defender played 671 games across all fronts during his 16-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, contributing 101 goals and 40 assists. He also won 22 titles with the Spanish giants.