“Sell Messi, I’ll start Ronaldo” - Gareth Bale answers hilarious ‘start, bench, sell’ challenge between Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and him
Former Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has provided a hilarious response when playing a game involving Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and himself. He shared this during multiple sets of interviews ahead of the UEFA Champions League final on June 1.
Bale was asked to start one, sell one, and bench one of the three players. He first said he'd start both Ronaldo and Messi and then bench himself. Bale, however, later changed the answer.
He said he'd sell Lionel Messi as it would earn a massive sum of money. Bale opted to bench himself, claiming he's retired and not in good enough shape. He further added that he'd start Cristiano Ronaldo, saying (via Madrid Zone on X):
"Ronaldo, Messi, Bale. Start, Start, Bench."
Bale continued:
"Sell Messi because I'll get most money for myself. I'm retired and not in shape so bench, I'll start Ronaldo."
Ronaldo and Messi are two of the greatest players ever to grace the Champions League. The Portuguese has won the competition five times with Real Madrid (four) and Manchester United (one). He is also the UCL's all-time top scorer with 141 goals.
Messi, on the other hand, is a four-time UCL winner with Barcelona. He is the second-highest scorer in the competition's history with 129 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: how many goals the legends have scored in the Champions League final
The Champions League final 2023-24 is upon us as Real Madrid play Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1. Hence, it's a good time to look back at Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's stats in the UCL final.
Ronaldo has played six finals, winning five. He has scored four goals and has provided 1 assist. Messi has scored twice in three final appearances, winning all three.
Messi has scored 49 goals and has provided 12 assists in 77 knockout appearances. Ronaldo has scored 67 goals and has provided 15 assists in 85 knockout appearances, which is another record.