'So-called battle' - Messi on rivalry with Ronaldo, reveals he stopped caring about Ballon d'Or 'long ago'
Argentina captain Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or award for the eighth time, most by any, during the recently held ceremony at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris on Monday (Nov 1). He went past France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway and Manchester City's young star Erling Halaand to win the top prize in Paris. With this, Messi has a clear lead in terms of winning the prestigious award for most times by any player. Cristiano Ronaldo, his arch-rival, is in the second spot having won the award on five occasions. After the win, Messi opened up on his fierce rivalry with Ronaldo and even made a big statement on the Ballon d'Or award in general.
'It was only a so-called «battle»
Speaking on his rivalry with Portugal captain Ronaldo — who is currently part of the Riyadh-based club Al-Nassr — Messi told AS in an interview, «It was only a so-called “battle”. In a sporting sense, it was really good, we fed off each other because we are very competitive. He always wanted to beat everyone and win everything. It was a very nice period for us and for people who like football in general. I think what we did for so long was very admirable.»
trending now
The legendary footballer, who led Argentina to a World Cup title last year in the mega event in Qatar, further added that it is much easier to reach the top but tough to remain at that position. «The easy thing is to get there, but the difficult thing is to stay. We stayed at the top for practically 10-15 years. That was very difficult to sustain. It was incredible and I have fond memories, also for everyone who enjoys football,” Messi opined.
Also read: Will Lionel Messi carry on till 2026 FIFA WC? Argentina legend reacts after eighth Ballon d'Or award
On the Ballon d'Or award, the 36-year-old
