Rodri aims subtle dig at Cristiano Ronaldo as he wades in on Lionel Messi debate
Manchester City star Rodri has claimed Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time "without any doubt" and has outlined the main difference between him and Cristiano Ronaldo - having faced them both in his career
Manchester City star Rodri has waded into the GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - suggesting the latter edged his rival because he was "dangerous everywhere on the pitch".
Ronaldo vs Messi has been a fierce topic of discussion among football fans and pundits for more than a decade, with both players staking their claims to be the greatest footballer of all time after stunning careers that saw them compete head-to-head for the Ballon d'Or prize.
Ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United star Ronaldo has scored a career total of 928 goals for club and country and has won 34 trophies, including five Champions League titles - winning the Ballon d'Or five times along the way.
Messi, meanwhile, has 877 goals and 41 trophies, claiming four Champions League and eight Ballon d'Ors.
But Rodri has claimed Messi is the greatest "without any doubt" and has outlined the main difference between the two players - having faced them both in his career.
Speaking to El Hormiguero, via Goal, he said: "Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, without any doubt. Cristiano has managed to match Messi without innate talent. But those of us who have played against them can see the difference.
"We didn’t want Cristiano to step into the box because he was lethal there. But with Messi, the danger was everywhere on the pitch."
The 28-year-old was named the latest Ballon d'Or winner at the prestigious ceremony after a superb spell that saw him win the Champions League with City in 2023 and Euro 2024 with Spain the following year - after Messi had won three of the last four prizes.
Rodri added that he felt Messi had the advantage over Ronaldo during his career because of his ability to "dodge you like you were a bull in the ring" when you tried to tackle him.
"When Messi got the ball, you’d think: 'Oh, danger'," he added. "When I first started playing against him, I tried to take the ball from him, and he dodged you as if you were a bull in the ring. The feeling I had was that something bad was about to happen."
Rodri was taking time out to speak as he continues his long recovery from an ACL injury that is set to rule him out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
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