"It would have been interesting to see" - When Real Madrid star claimed he wants to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play together
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal said in February 2024 that he hoped to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play together. The legendary duo are considered by many as the greatest players of all time.
Carvajal played alongside Ronaldo for Los Blancos and they took to the pitch 165 times and combined for 15 goals in their 12840 minutes together. He faced Messi 19 times, winning seven, drawing three, and losing nine times against him.
The Euro 2024 winner spoke to journalist, Daniel Habif about his hope to see the duo play together, saying (via InterMiami.news), saying:
“Messi or Ronaldo? I put them on the same level. I don’t prefer one over the other. They are monsters in every sense of the word, and I could not choose neither this, nor that. I think they are very different."
The 32-year-old Real Madrid defender concluded, saying:
"Messi is a player who is able to go back, receive the ball, and create attacks, and then he can participate in the play and create. Cristiano is a monster at scoring goals, attacking the area, and finishing. If they were playing together, they would have been explosive. And it would have been interesting to see.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are now 39 and 37 years old respectively and likely at the end of their illustrious careers. It is unlikely that they take to the pitch together in a competitive game now and currently represent Al-Nassr and Inter Miami respectively.
When Lionel Messi addressed the possibility of playing alongside Real Madrid legend, Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi are two of the best players in the history of football and dominated the sport for over a decade. Their abilities and goalscoring abilities made many fans imagine how they fare when playing together.
Back in 2015, Messi was asked if he thought he and his rival would ever play on the same team and he said (via the Mirror):
"Yes, of course. I always like to play with the best, and he is one of them. I think it will be difficult for us to play in the same team, but obviously I would like to. I was lucky enough to play and participate with many very good players and, obviously, I would also like to do it with him."
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times while Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the award five times in his career.