Lionel Messi‘s victory at the 2023 Ballon d’Or gave a lot to talk about this week. While many believe the Argentine star deserved his eighth award, others claim it was unfair. Cristiano Ronaldo‘s sister Katia Aveiro seems to be part of the latter.
The Portuguese singer reacted to an Instagram post by a Ronaldo fan who stated that Ronaldo “earned” his five Ballon d’Ors. Though Messi was not mentioned, by the timing of the post and its caption one could tell it questions the recent winner.
Messi’s triumph this year has been quite polarizing. Renowned personalities backed the decision, but others thought Erling Haaland should’ve won. The 36-year-old took his country to World Cup glory in December, yet his club campaign wasn’t the best.
Either way, his performance at Qatar 2022 ended up eclipsing anything else. Messi ultimately extended his Ballon d’Or collection to eight, increasing his advantage over Ronaldo, who boasts five.
Messi seems to win the Ballon d’Or battle with Ronaldo
For years, the Ballon d’Or conversation was reduced to Messi and Ronaldo. By then, the question was not only who was the better player, but also who would end up with the most awards.
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The battle started in 2008, when Ronaldo won it for the first time. But Messi’s dominance started only a year later, as the Argentine star won the next four editions. The Portuguese regained the Ballon d’Or in consecutive years in 2013 and 2014, reducing the gap with Leo. In 2015, the former Barcelona star got the prize back. Ronaldo, however, tied Messi with back-to-back accolades in 2016 and 2017 after winning the Champions League in both years.
After a one-year hiatus in which Luka Modric emerged victorious, the rivalry revived when Messi won the 2019 Ballon d’Or. But from then on, he only increased his lead over Ronaldo. With triumphs in 2021 and 2023, Messi extended his record to eight Ballon d’Ors.
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Though both are still active, it’s safe to say Messi has already won this battle. At 38, Ronaldo’s days at the Ballon d’Or podium may be part of the past. In fact, the Al-Nassr star hasn’t even made the 30-man shortlist this year. Messi himself admitted this may have been his final award, since there’s a new generation of stars ready to take over.
Messi weighs in on his rivalry with Ronaldo
In an interview with L’Equipe after the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, Messi reflected on his rivalry with Ronaldo during their time in LaLiga. “It was a great battle, from a sporting point of view. We fed off each other’s rivalry because we’re both great competitors. He, too, always wanted to win everything, all the time. It was a very enjoyable time for both of us and for everyone who loves football.”
Cristiano Ronaldo greets Lionel Messi prior to a La Liga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona in 2017
Back in the day, there was not a more anticipated game than a Spanish Clasico featuring Messi and Ronaldo. With Leo at Barcelona and Cristiano at Real Madrid, world soccer witnessed one of the best sporting rivalries of all time.
That’s why Messi only has words of praise for the Portuguese, as they pushed each other to the limit during their prime. “I think we deserve a lot of credit for having managed to stay at the top for so long. Because as they say, it’s easy to get there. What’s difficult is staying there. And we stayed at the top for ten, fifteen years. It’s very difficult to stay at that level and it’s spectacular. And I think it remains a good memory for all those who followed us.”
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Ronaldo made some headlines for a controversial comment after Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or, but he always showed a lot of respect for the Argentine star. While their era of dominance may have come to an end, the memories they gave us will never be forgotten.
