Cristiano Ronaldo: If Lionel Messi and I played together, I'd have more Ballons d'Or
Cristiano Ronaldo is now a four-time Ballon d'Or winner, a haul that is second to only one man: Lionel Messi, who has five of the golden ball trophies.
But what if the two superstars played on the same team – how would the award break down then? To hear Ronaldo tell it, he'd probably end up with more trophies than Messi.
"It would be interesting to see both of us in the same team," Ronaldo said after being asked how the award would split if they played together. "I think great players should play together. So if we were in the same team, I think I would have more than him, but he wouldn't be far off."
"Everyone knows Messi is a great player," he added. "He's won five Ballons d'Or."
It's not unreasonable to think the award would've gone very differently had the pair played on the same team. For better or worse, the success of each player's teams is a huge factor in the award – Portugal's European Championship win and Real Madrid's Champions League win both propelled Ronaldo to this year's award while Messi came in second place. If Messi and Ronaldo won the same competitions for club and country, the choice would be much more difficult.
But Messi fans and those who consider the diminutive Barcelona star to be the greatest player alive today will surely take issue with Ronaldo's assessment. Messi's Argentina may have fallen just short of the Copa America trophy this summer and Barcelona didn't last long in Champions League, but Messi was still great as always.
Unfortunately for Messi fans and Ronaldo fans alike, it's pretty darn unlikely we will ever see them play together. Ronaldo has been clear he plans to retire with Real Madrid (at age 41!) while speculation continues to swirl that Messi will go back to his boyhood club, Newell's Old Boys, after his time with Barcelona is done.
Either way, it looks like this debate will just rage on – and Ronaldo gave us some new fodder for it.
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