Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s rivalry in football has been widely discussed for the past few decades. These two players, often considered the greatest of all time, have been compared to each other throughout their illustrious careers. Their nine-year battle in La Liga, playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, resulted in some astonishing individual performances.
Recently, there has been a change in the dynamics of this rivalry, particularly from Ronaldo’s side. Ronaldo has been actively fueling the fire in the past week, making his voice heard in the midst of the ongoing debate.
A notable incident occurred during Al Nassr’s game against Al-Ettifaq on October 31, just a day after Messi received his record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or award in Paris. Ettihaq supporters started chanting “Messi, Messi” throughout the match to provoke Ronaldo. As the chanting grew louder, Ronaldo grabbed the ball from the sideline to take a quick throw-in and shushed the crowd in response.
In a tense match filled with drama, Sadio Mane scored the only goal, leading Al Nassr to a 1-0 victory. Ronaldo celebrated by cupping his ears and facing the Ettifaq fans. Additionally, Ronaldo gestured for the referee to be substituted after an Al Nassr goal was disallowed due to his interference with the play.
Ronaldo also took to Instagram to express his thoughts on Messi winning his eighth Ballon d’Or title. In response to a video posted by Spanish journalist Tomás Roncero, Ronaldo commented with four laughing face emojis. The exact meaning of his response remains unclear, but fans quickly shared their interpretations.
On October 30, Messi claimed his eighth Ballon d’Or title in Paris, surpassing Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, who are both expected to vie for the award in the future. This victory solidified Messi’s position as the player with the most Ballon d’Or wins, overtaking Ronaldo’s record of five.
While the award has faced accusations of being ‘rigged’ in the past, it remains football’s most prestigious individual accolade. Thanks to his remarkable performance during Argentina’s triumph in the 2022 World Cup, Messi claimed the top spot this year.
The following is a list of players who have won the Ballon d’Or multiple times. Initially, the award was only available to European-born players until 1995. From 2007, players from any league worldwide were eligible for nomination.
Player | Nation | Awards | Years won
——————|————|————|————–
Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | 2009, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’15, ’19, ’21, ’23
Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 5 | 2008, ’13, ’14, ’16, ’17
Michel Platini | France | 3 | 1983, ’84, ’85
Johan Cruyff | Netherlands | 3 | 1971, ’73, ’74
Marco van Basten | Netherlands | 3 | 1988, ’89, ’92
Franz Beckenbauer | Germany | 2 | 1972, ’76
Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain | 2 | 1957, ’59
Kevin Keegan | England | 2 | 1978, ’79
Ronaldo Nazario | Brazil | 2 | 1997, ’02
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Germany | 2 | 1989, ’81
The intense rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi continues to captivate media and fans worldwide, and the debate over who is the greatest player of all time shows no signs of abating.
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