Real Madrid star Luka Modric snubs Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as he builds ultimate 6-a-side team
Real Madrid star Luka Modric snubbed Lionel Messi and former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo while choosing his six-a-side team for Icons.com. The Croatian icon played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid but never shared the same dressing room with Messi.
Messi and Ronaldo are widely accepted as two of the greatest footballers to have graced the beautiful sport. The duo have won 13 Ballons d'Or together, with Messi having a record eight and Ronaldo five. Their rivalry peaked between 2009 and 2018 when Messi was at Barcelona and Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
In an interview with Icons.com, Luka Modric was asked to pick six footballers to create a six-a-side time as a part of their 'Six of the World's Best' series. For each position, the Croatian was given several options to choose from. Among attackers, he was asked to choose between multiple stalwarts, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, and Ronaldo Nazario.
Modric was quick to shortlist his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo alongside Ronaldo Nazario. However, he finally settled for the Brazilian legend as his only pick among attackers, snubbing the Portuguese talisman and his Argentine rival.
Luka Modric shared the pitch with Ronaldo 222 times between 2012 and 2018 for Los Blancos, recording 16 joint-goal contributions. The duo won four UEFA Champions Leagues and one LaLiga title among other honors together.
Meanwhile, Modric has faced Lionel Messi in 27 games for club and country. The two legends most recently faced each other in the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final, with Messi's Argentina winning 3-0. La Albiceleste went on to win the World Cup that year.
"He is the best player in history" - When Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate Luka Modric named Lionel Messi the best
Shortly after Luka Modric's Croatia lost 3-0 to Lionel Messi's Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final, the Real Madrid ace named the Argentine the best in history.
He said (via GiveMeSport):
"I hope he (Messi) will win this World Cup, he is the best player in history and he deserves it. He is playing a great World Cup, he shows quality and greatness in every game."
Modric and Messi have faced each other while representing rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona in 22 El Clasicos across competitions between 2012 and 2021. The Argentine legend has won eight games and lost nine. Five games ended in a draw.
The two greats may get an opportunity to play together if Modric joins Messi's current side, Inter Miami, in the future. According to Spanish publication Cadena SER, the Argentine was keen on Modric signing for the MLS side in 2023.