The Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry was a rare occurrence in sports. It was unheard of for two elite athletes to maintain peak performance levels for close to two decades. Now, the dust has finally settled and the duo have exited Europe for good. A prominent pundit who had given his verdict on the ‘GOAT’ debate previously, believes the comparison was harder for CR7, especially on a mental level. What could be his reasoning? Let’s find out below.

In a recent interview, Jamie Carragher opened up on Cristiano Ronaldo’s mental fortitude. He said, “It must have been tough mentally, that Messi-Ronaldo thing. And I’d say more so for Ronaldo because I think probably seven or eight people out of 10 would say Messi was the better player.” The Scouse defender added that the people’s preference for Messi must have been a driving factor for the Portuguese star. He added, “No matter what he did, people still said that. That was a big thing in his career, his mentality.”

The Liverpool legend is also one of the people who preferred Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo. He had commented there was never a debate in the first place. Carragher said, “Ronaldo is nowhere near the level of Messi.” Instead, he labeled CR7 as the greatest goalscorer of all time while adjudging Messi to be the best-ever player.

Speaking of debates, Cristiano Ronaldo had also opened up on his fierce rivalry with the Argentine playmaker. The Portuguese icon said that competition was good and was a thing of the past.

Cristiano Ronaldo confirms that his rivalry with Messi is ‘over’

In 2023, for the first time, CR7 confirmed the end of his storied rivalry with Messi. He said, “Hatred? I don’t see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it.” Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo also added that the rivalry had lost its sting since he left Europe. Notably, Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January 2023 while Messi continued for a few more months with PSG.

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Moreover, the Portuguese star also expressed his happiness to see his longstanding rival do well. He revealed, “He’s followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I’ve seen, he’s been doing well and so have I.” Although the legendary duo has been doing well in terms of goals, they have found collective success hard to come by. Messi’s only trophy since his move has been the Leagues Cup while for Cristiano Ronaldo, it was the Arab Champions Cup. Hence, it seems the pair is no longer the one-man army that single-handedly won trophies for the sides.

What is your take on the legendary rivalry? Whom did you prefer? Let us know below.