The 2017 Ballon d’Or saw soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo win his fifth Ballon d’Or award after a stunning season. He once again went one-on-one with Lionel Messi in the awards race. But ultimately, Ronaldo came on top. However, the talk of the town happened when Ronaldo’s son met Messi at the awards ceremony. And guess what? He failed to accept that it actually was Lionel Messi!

Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. believed Messi was ‘too short’ to be true. The former Real Madrid’s star son met his father’s rival and looked in awe at his stature. Messi stands at 5’7″, while Ronaldo Jr is now 5’8″. But back then, they had a funny meet-up that led to various discussions on the internet. 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s son couldn’t believe Messi was real!

Their first meet-up became iconic as Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, revealed the funny incident that happened in 2017. According to the Sun, she stated, “I was with him and I said, ‘look, it’s Messi,’ and he replied, ‘that’s not Messi, he’s short.’ Then my son encouraged him to wave. Messi is a very good person. My grandson is already taller than him, [laughs] it was a very fun moment.”

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Therefore, the moment became iconic as the battle for supremacy in those years had a lighter side. Despite being top rivals on the pitch, they share a beautiful bond off it. The duo showcased their incredible friendship during the awards ceremony and cherished their battles on top. As for Messi, even though he is 5’7″, being short probably helped him to become one of the best. 

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There are various traits each soccer player has, and Messi’s height is one factor that made him great. 

The incredible Argentinian genius

Standing at 5’7″, short players have a low center of gravity and would dribble past opponents. He could shift his pace in an instant and he completely ghosts past the defenders. Moreover, with the low center of gravity, tall opposition defenders find it hard to keep up with the player. Most players are short as they are very agile with their tiny frames. Think of Iniesta, Xavi, and Santi Cazorla along the same bracket. They were short players who dominated the game from start to finish. 

Thus, Lionel Messi is a generational talent, and to some, he is arguably the greatest player of all time. For years, he dominated the game and shrugged off his growth hormone concerns to become the world’s best. 

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