4 hours Ago By Robin Mumford
After surpassing Vinicius Junior to claim this year’s Ballon d’Or , Manchester City midfielder Rodri has cemented his place among football’s elite. This achievement undoubtedly adds weight to his perspective on one of the sport’s most debated topics: who is the greater player, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? While everyone involved in football has an opinion, though, few offer a perspective as balanced and well-considered as the 28-year-old’s. In a recent interview with the Spanish program El Hormiguero , the former Villarreal and Atletico Madrid star confidently shared his answer, providing an intriguing explanation for why he believes Messi is the greatest of all time.
Four Premier League stars are in the early shouts of next year's Ballon d'Or. Rodri Explains Why Messi is Better Than Ronaldo Weighing in on sport's biggest debate, Rodri candidly 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.
" He added: "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.
" Rodri’s remarkable Ballon d’Or triumph will be honoured in style at the Etihad Stadium before Manchester City’s upcoming clash with Tottenham on Saturday. The midfielder will receive a standing ovation from fans as he makes his return to Manchester, having spent the last two months in Spain recovering from an ACL surgery . His absence has been deeply felt by Pep Guardiola’s side, who have struggled through a tough stretch, suffering four consecutive defeats without him.
It's the first time they the Cityzens have done that since Guardiola took charge all the way back in 2016..
