Lionel Messi has admitted that his rival Cristiano Ronaldo ranks among the four sports athletes he most admires.
The 33-year-old Argentinian superstar often finds himself dueling with Juventus Turin star Ronaldo in the debate over who is the best player in football history.
But Messi has shown that their football rivalry does not extend off the pitch, saying he admires athletes “who stand out” and which he believes Cr7 is a part of.
The other three athletes chosen by Messi were tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and LA Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner told La Sexta: “There are a lot of admirable athletes. “Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, LeBron James. In all sports there is an athlete who stands out and who is admirable for his work and what he does every day.”
“Cristiano Ronaldo is another example in football. There are a lot of them. I admire all the athletes who stand out.”
Messi and Ronaldo shared a heartwarming moment during the Champions League draw last summer as Virgil van Dijk was crowned UEFA Player of the Year. The two sat together at the ceremony and congratulated each other on their battle at the top of world football for more than a decade, with Ronaldo also having invited Messi to dinner.
“I shared this step with him [Messi] for 15 years, “Ronaldo said.” I don’t know if this has happened in football before – the same two guys at the same level all the time. “Of course we have a good relationship – we haven’t had dinner together yet, but I hope so in the future.
“We have this battle, he pushed me and I pushed him too. It’s great to be a part of football history. I’m here, and of course he is too.”
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