"One is a genius and the other has a very strong mentality" - When Kaka had his say on GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Brazilian football icon Kaka's response to the GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has resurfaced.
The two iconic footballers have shared an iconic rivalry between themselves for over a decade and a half.
Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo has been a debate that has divided opinion for a long time now.
Upon being asked about his choice between the two modern-day football greats, Kaka highlighted the positives of both players.
The World Cup-winning former Brazilian midfielder has hailed Messi as a genius while also applauding Ronaldo for his enormous mentality. However, Kaka has insisted that he would choose Ronaldo as his teammate because of his determination to succeed.
He said on Podpah’s Youtube channel, as quoted by Republic World:
“I will separate like this (Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo): one is a genius and the other has a very strong mentality."
The way Lionel Messi looks at Cristiano Ronaldo 🥰 https://t.co/iSS0z7OCW1
He continued:
"Now, if you ask me who i want for my team, i would choose Cristiano. The chance of his failure is very small. He is very determined, and focused.”
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the game for more than a decade and a half, which is pretty much understandable given their combined tally of 12 Ballons d'Or.
Messi has won seven Ballons d'Or over the years, while his rival Ronaldo has five to his name.
Kaka was the last player to win the Ballon d’Or award before Ronaldo and Messi started dominating the award. The former Brazil international won the prestigious individual award in 2007 when he was on the books of AC Milan.
Messi has been on fire for PSG this season. He has scored 13 goals and provided 14 assists in 21 games across competitions for the Ligue 1 giants this campaign.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr earlier this month following the termination of his deal with Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo was obsessed with Lionel Messi's Barcelona salary and was upset that the Argentine earned double his amount
The four most-followed football players on Instagram playing in the same match 📈
Cristiano Ronaldo - 536M
Lionel Messi - 421M
Neymar Jr. - 201M
Kylian Mbappe - 95M https://t.co/q0AyF7kzSr
Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly obsessed with Lionel Messi's salary at Barcelona, who used to earn almost twice his wage package.
As reported by El Mundo, Ronaldo and his one-time representative Jorge Mendes had a rift due to the former's fixation on Messi's salary. This fixation is reported to have resulted in a clash with the president of Barcelona during an awards ceremony, in the presence of Jorge Mendes.
Ronaldo demanded that Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu tell him how much Messi got paid, and in response, Bartomeu said:
"I can't tell you, but it's more than double what they [Real Madrid] pay you."
The altercation reportedly resulted in his departure from Real Madrid in 2018.