Man City star places Lionel Messi clear of Cristiano Ronaldo – ‘We know the difference’ | OneFootball

Barcelona and Real Madrid have both transitioned to a new generation headlined by a new set of stars.

The script has repeated once more as the Galacticos have opted for big-name signings while the Blaugrana are banking on academy stars to take them to the elite level.

Yet, there is something special about the rivalry of the past decade which included the biggest legends of the game. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, needless to say, headlined the teams.

Rodri’s verdict

Speaking to the media in a recent interview, current Ballon d’Or holder Rodri spoke about the eternal debate – Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi.

His answer, however, was very conclusive as he elaborated why exactly he saw the Barcelona legend to be far superior.

“Cristiano managed to match Messi without an innate talent. But those of us who play against them, we realize the difference,” he began.

Rodri explained the difference between Messi and Ronaldo. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

“We didn’t want Cristiano to step in the box because he was lethal there. But with Messi, he passed everywhere on the field,” he added.

Commenting on what made Messi such a danger on the field, the defensive midfielder said,

“Messi got the ball and you said: ‘Danger’. When he started playing against him, he tried to take the ball away and he dodged you like you were nothing,” he added.

Finally, he revealed what went on in the minds of players when playing against Messi.

“[When he got the ball, there was] the feeling that something bad was going to happen.”

Finally, Rodri dedicated his Ballon d’Or to Spain’s previous generation of greats who surprisingly never won the award.

“In my opinion, Spain has had one of the best moments in the history of football. That we only had a Golden Ball was curious. That this golden generation had no prize was unfair and I wanted to pay tribute to them.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo