"I would have liked to see Cristiano Ronaldo team up with Lionel Messi" - Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller would have liked to see Cristiano Ronaldo team up with Lionel Messi, the Bayern Munich star has revealed. The Argentinean left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer. The Portuguese, meanwhile, decided to end his association with Juventus last week. While there was initial speculation about his future, Ronaldo ended up joining Manchester United.
Lionel Messi made his Ligue 1 debut last weekend, coming off the bench to replace Neymar for the final 30 minutes against Reims. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, completed his medicals over the weekend ahead of his return to Old Trafford.
There were initial rumors that PSG had earmarked the former Juventus star as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe and would sign him for free next summer. That would have enabled the Portuguese to team up with his long-time Argentinean rival. Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could have potentially made a formidable attacking trio. And Muller has echoed those sentiments.
Speaking to Bild after Bayern Munich’s 5-0 win over Hertha BSC, as relayed by Bavarian Football Works, the German revealed that he would have loved to see the Portuguese team up with the Argentinean.
“If Kylian Mbappe is still going [from PSG], then I would have liked to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi play together. Of course that was going to be a very interesting mix, also for me, because you love football,” said Muller.
The Bayern Munich star went on to analyze how the Portuguese would function with the Argentinean.
“You need players who are good on the ball and those who are good off the ball. Cristiano has become a very strong finishing player. He doesn’t need the ball deep at all.”
The German star also admitted that the prospect of Lionel Messi and Neymar combining with Cristiano Ronaldo would have been mesmerizing to watch. Muller was asked whether he would have liked to see the Portuguese at Bayern Munich and he gave an interesting reply.
“Of course, we have our finishing player in Lewy and of course you have to have a good mix,” said Muller.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rivalry showing no signs of slowing down
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's rivalry is showing no signs of slowing down. Despite the emergence of younger stars like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, the Portuguese and the Argentinean remain the benchmarks of excellence in modern football. That trend is expected to continue as they both embark on fresh journeys this season.