"Now he must continue” – Ronaldinho makes honest admission about Lionel Messi winning 2022 FIFA World Cup
Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has spoken about his former teammate Lionel Messi during an award ceremony hosted by club president Joan Laporta.
The football veteran was awarded the Legend Trophy at the recently concluded Mundo Deportivo gala in Spain.
Ronaldinho spoke about a couple of issues at the event such as Xavi Hernandez's performance at Barcelona, and backed the tactician to succeed at Camp Nou.
Ronaldinho: "Xavi is my friend. It's not easy to win titles, but I can see it happening. I hope Xavi makes history at Barcelona." https://t.co/uIOnJKLwJv
He also spoke about the performance of his countryman Raphinha, who has struggled since joining Bluagrana last summer. He also backed the Brazilian winger to succeed at Camp Nou as well.
The football veteran, meanwhile, also commended his former teammate and Barcelona legend Messi for his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 35-year-old forward led Argentina to their third World Cup in Qatar. He was also voted as the tournament's best player after scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
Ronaldinho also expressed his disappointment at seeing the Argentine playing for another club side aside from Barcelona.
As seen in Barca Universal, Ronaldinho said,
"Very happy for his victory in the World Cup. He was missing that."
He continued:
"The truth is that nobody imagined him outside of Barça, but things happen in football. Now he must continue.”
Recall that Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer after spending 18 years at Camp Nou.
The Spanish giants failed in their attempt to extend his contract due to financial constraints. In a statement released by the club's president, Laporta, he said,
"Leo wanted to stay and the club wanted him to stay but with the La Liga rules it has not been possible. To comply with the league's fair play regulations, we had to accept an agreement that mortgaged the club's TV rights for half a century and FC Barcelona is above everything else."
Meanwhile, Messi's contract at PSG is set to expire this summer. Although there have been rumors linking him with a return to Barcelona, it looks likely that he will remain at PSG, who have the option of extending Messi's contract by another year.
Remembering when Ronaldinho picked Messi over rival Cristiano Ronaldo
The Brazilian legend is among a handful of football stars, both past and present, who have given their voices to the Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate.
Ronaldinho, however, picked his former Barcelona teammate over the Portuguese veteran, sighting 'taste and preference' as his major reasons.
Messi x Ronaldinho. What an era...
🐐🐐 https://t.co/FT2g4vo2u1
In his words, as seen in Givemesport, he said:
“He’s the best in history, no doubt. Nobody has done what Messi’s done. The other one [Ronaldo] is complete, he has it all. So does Leo, but it’s a question of taste and I prefer Leo's style.”