Manchester City star Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, appeared in Spain’s famous program El Hormiguero, where he discussed the greatest players of all time. The midfielder had an interesting opinion regarding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the Argentine was more complete.
“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,” he explained.
Rodri, further explained what makes the Argentine different: “When Messi got the ball, you’d think: ‘Oh, danger.’” 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.”
This is not the first time that Rodri talks about Messi, as he recently said he was one of the players he feared the most. As a Villarreal and Atletico Madrid player, Rodri faced both players several times.
Lionel Messi of Argentina looks on during 2026 World Cup Qualifiers (Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)
Rodri, who is currently recovering from an ACL injury, won the Ballon d’Or, surprisingly edging Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. The award is the jewel of the crown to a spectacular season in which he also won the UEFA Euro with Spain, and the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester City.
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Rodri will try to return to the pitch this season
Manchester City midfielder Rodri, currently sidelined with an ACL injury, remains optimistic about a potential return this season. Despite the severity of the injury, the Ballon d’Or winner is determined to push himself mentally and physically to rejoin his team.
“Yes, yes. The seasons are longer now, with the Club World Cup ending on July 13th. I want to challenge myself mentally,” he said recently. He suffered the injury during a 2-2 draw with Arsenal back in September.
