"I think we can say I was around" - Barcelona star comments on battling Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski reflected on his time playing in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Polish striker is recognized as one of the finest strikers of his generation and has enjoyed a remarkable career.
Many consider Messi and Ronaldo to be two of the best players in football history. The legendary duo claimed eight and five Ballon d'Or awards in their careers, respectively, winning 13 of the last 16 awarded.
Speaking in a recent interview with the Athletic about his career while competing against the legendary pair, the Polish striker said (via GOAL):
“I have been playing football in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I think I’ve been close to that elite level in some moments and even beat them in different games. I think we can say I was around! It means a lot if you get close to guys like this. It makes me very proud to see that in the era of Messi and Ronaldo, sometimes, Lewandowski also managed to break some records and make an impact.”
The Barcelona striker faced Ronaldo nine times with either Poland, Borussia Dortmund, or Bayern Munich and won two of those clashes, drew two, and lost five, while scoring seven to the Portuguese star's six. He faced Messi four times with Bayern and Poland, with the pair winning two apiece and each bagging two goals against each other.
Former Barcelona star reveals how Lionel Messi handled rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
In March, former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique shared how Lionel Messi handled his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair enjoyed a phenomenal rivalry that shattered records and redefined what it meant to be a sports superstar.
Pique, who played with the pair at Barcelona and Manchester United, revealed that the Argentine World Cup winner did not dwell on his rivalry with the Portuguese star. Speaking in an interview with talkSPORT, the Spaniard said (via GOAL):
“He wasn’t that type of guy. He was very team-focused, although he was getting all the first page in all the newspapers and radios and TV. At the end of the day, he was very close with all of us and he was just focused on winning titles like the Champions League and these kinds of things. At the end of the day because he was the best. Then he was winning the Ballon d’Or but it wasn’t something that was a priority for him.”
Pique played 40,524 minutes across 506 games alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona and combined for 17 goals. He played only 596 minutes across 15 games with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United before returning to the Catalan side in 2008.