“They probably still wouldn’t win the Champions League” – Paul Merson makes bold claim about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi potentially playing together at PSG
Paul Merson believes that while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would be fun to watch at Paris Saint-Germain, they would still fall short of the Champions League title.
Ronaldo has just a year remaining on his current Manchester United deal, but it remains to be seen if the club will sell him this summer.
The Portuguese was the club’s top scorer last season with 18 goals in the Premier League. However, some fans believe his presence hindered any hopes of a high-pressing style.
There is a possibility that Ronaldo could go to PSG as a replacement for Neymar, who has been linked with a move away from the club.
Should the Portuguese join PSG, he will play alongside long-time Ballon d’Or rival Messi. For more than a decade, the two formed a duopoly on the Ballon d’Or, winning a combined 12 awards.
While Ronaldo scored 24 goals and three assists across competitions in the recently-concluded season, Messi finished with 11 goals and 15 assists.
Leo Messi OUTSCORED everyone in 2012 😳🐐 https://t.co/aXFlMPXeLX
Merson explained that it would be fun to watch the two share the pitch with the same team, but believes it still doesn’t mean PSG will win the Champions League.
In his Daily Star column, he wrote:
“They've [Messi and Ronaldo] spent years being rivals. It would be fun to watch them end their careers as team-mates. And you keep hearing that Neymar could be leaving PSG so you could have a forward line of Messi, Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe! It would be Harlem Globetrotters stuff but that is what they do there - and Ronaldo would be guaranteed to win big trophies again.
“It's probably the best place for him. And they would be on the TV every single week all over the world because everyone would want to see that. They probably still wouldn't win the Champions League because while Messi and Ronaldo have been the best players in the world for years, they're not any more.
“Messi only scored six goals in the French league last season. He used to score six in a week in Spain. But those three up front are a Playstation football team. It would be fun to watch.”
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might not work at PSG
Now in the twilight of their careers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are different players compared to the forces they once were.
🎙 Klopp on the Ballon d’Or: “Either you are Ronaldo or Messi or you win the Champions League.”
While Lionel Messi has played a deeper role, Ronaldo has become more of an out-and-out centre-forward owing to his lack of mobility.
In a perfect world, the two may have combined perfectly. However, it’s likely that there will be an ego clash between the two.