“Ronaldo has a little bit of that, Messi has nothing” – When Jorge Jesus blasted Lionel Messi for having no ‘passion’
Former Benfica manager Jorge Jesus harshly slammed Lionel Messi for having 'no passion', further claiming Cristiano Ronaldo had more of the said emotion than the Argentine attacker back in December 2020. The Argentine icon would respond to this jab two years later in the best way possible.
In 2020, Lionel Messi was still plying his trade for Barcelona. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had long established himself as one of the best footballers of all time, winning every possible trophy for the Blaugrana. The only pieces of success that eluded him were winning silverware for Argentina on the international stage.
To the surprise of many, Jesus gave a harsh assessment of the former PSG superstar. He also claimed that Ronaldo was more like Diego Maradona compared to the Argentina superstar.
Jorge Jesus spoke to ESPN (via Daily Mirror back in 2020):
"Nowadays, between the two best in the world, Ronaldo has a little bit of that, Messi has nothing. He has nothing... of passion. He is a great player. Be careful not to misinterpret. As for Messi, we are talking about what life and feeling is about, having a passion for the game and football. I think Maradona was even prominent in this regard in relation to other."
Over the course of the next two years, the Barcelona legend went on to prove Jesus wrong. The 36-year-old won the 2021 Copa America and 2022 Finalissima. He also captained Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory, scoring seven goals and winning the second Golden Ball of his career.
The Argentina skipper helped his country win their first World Cup since 1986 and was seen shedding tears of joy and passion upon clinching the trophy. During the celebrations, he could also be seen exhilirated in joyous emotions with the rest of his teammates, showing passion is one thing that he never lacked.
Lionel Messi gives an honest response when asked about breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's records
Lionel Messi recently admitted he is no longer focusing on breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's records due to the team success he has enjoyed throughout his career.
Both players have enjoyed tremendous success over the years with both being viewed as the two GOATs in football history. In an interview with beIN Sport, he said (via Indian Express):
“No, just a little bit. As I said before, at this stage of my career, I don’t focus on that anymore. I focus on what I was able to achieve with Argentina and the club level where I was lucky enough to win important titles like the UCL or Club World Cup, leagues, cups."
He added:
“I was lucky enough to win everything, and that’s really what will remain at the end of my career. Of course, you have the goals and records, but, I think, they are secondary apart from the fact that they are nice recognitions."
In terms of individual records, Ronaldo is currently ahead of the Argentine ace on goals scored. The Portugal superstar has scored 838 goals and provided 236 assists in 1168 appearances for club and country compared to Messi's 807 goals and 357 assists in 1028 appearances.