"That was my wish that did not come true" - Cristiano Ronaldo's former coach admits not training Lionel Messi is his only regret
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has said that not training Lionel Messi is one of his regrets. Messi and Ronaldo are widely regarded as two of the best in the game's history.
Having made their debuts two decades back, the two legends are still going strong, scoring over 800 goals for club and country. Scolari coached Ronaldo during his stint as Portugal manager between 2003 and 2008 but has never had the privilege of managing Messi in club or international football.
Having coached some of the best players to have graced the beautiful game, Scolari wished to add Messi to that illustrious list, but that never came to fruition. He said (as per Albiceleste Talk):
"I have trained the best players: Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Cristiano Ronaldo... The only thing I lacked was Messi, and that was my wish that did not come true. In my team he can play in any position. He is an intelligent player and does not need many instructions. He shows all his genius on the pitch."
Messi currently plays for Inter Miami in MLS, while Ronaldo plies his trade for Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr. Both stars are expected to be involved with their respective countries during the upcoming international break.
How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fared this season in club football?
As mentioned earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the best players in history and two of the most prolific scorers as well. Ronaldo leads the list with a staggering 907 strikes for club and country and is followed by Messi, who has 849.
Although both players are on the wrong side of 30, they are still going strong, which is also the case this season. Ronaldo has seemingly continued from where he left off last season, when he struck an impressive 44 times across competitions, including a record 36 strikes in the Saudi Pro League.
This season, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has registered 10 goals and three assists in 14 games across competitions. That includes six goals and two assists in eight outings in the Saudi Pro League, where Stefano Pioli's side are third, six points behind unbeaten leaders Al-Hilal after nine games.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has had an injury-plagued first full season in MLS, contributing 22 goals and 13 assists in 24 games across competitions. Twenty of those goals and 10 assists have come in 19 games in MLS, with the Herons winning the Supporters' Shield, Messi's record-extending 46th title with club and country.