What did Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi buy with their first salary? Report claims to shed light on star duo’s contrasting choices
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has been ongoing for almost 15 years now, and even with the Portuguese's move to Saudi Arabia, the comparisons don't seem to stop.
Ronaldo kick-started his footballing career at Sporting in Lisbon and rose through the ranks to make their first team. It was during his time with the Sporting senior squad that he caught the eyes of Manchester United, who moved quickly to sign him in 2004.
Messi, on the other hand, was handed a contract by Barcelona at the age of 14 in 2000 and he went on to become a club legend, breaking all goal-scoring records with them.
The first major wage that the Argentine picked up was when he was promoted to the Barcelona second team. As per Portuguese outlet Antena, he bought a house with his first salary.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, received €80 as his first salary from Sporting and he used that to pay for his school supplies, as per the aforementioned source.
The two legends' paths crossed when Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid in 2009 and the duo competed fiercely until the Portuguese joined Juventus in 2018.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can play in the same league again - Reports
Lionel Messi's contract at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires this summer and reports claim that he is set to leave the club with no extension in sight. Multiple clubs have been linked with a move for the Argentine, with a return to Barcelona also on the cards.
However, the Catalan giants are in the midst of a financial crisis and La Liga has urged them to lower their wage bill before making new signings. This could prevent Messi from returning to Camp Nou, leaving other interested clubs with a chance to sign him.
Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal have been credited with an interest in Messi as well, with reports claiming they have made a world-record offer to sign him. The Middle East side have made a £320 million contract offer, which would make the seven-time Ballon d'Or player the highest-paid footballer on earth.
If Messi does move to Saudi Arabia, another chapter in his rivalry with Ronaldo will be added. The latter is currently plying his trade for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia after leaving Manchester United with mutual consent in November last year.