{"id":270360,"date":"2025-02-04T10:18:20","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T10:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/04\/without-any-doubt-when-rodri-picked-his-goat-between-lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:09:28","slug":"without-any-doubt-when-rodri-picked-his-goat-between-lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/04\/without-any-doubt-when-rodri-picked-his-goat-between-lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Without any doubt&#8221; &#8211; When Rodri picked his GOAT between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4760961\" data-slug-id=\"2354848\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Manchester City midfielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/rodrigo-hernandez-cascante\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Rodri<\/a> once named Lionel Messi the GOAT ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spanish midfielder is aware of the qualities of both superstars, having faced them multiple times on the pitch.<\/p>\n<p>Rodri came up against <em>La Pulga<\/em> 14 times in his career to date, during the Argentinean&#8217;s time with Barcelona as well as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Spaniard registered just one win &#8211; Manchester City&#8217;s 2-1 victory over PSG in the 2021-22 Champions League Group stages.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Rodri has faced Ronaldo 10 times in his career, winning four games and losing three. The Portuguese has managed five goals in those encounters.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking after winning the 2024 Ballon d&#8217;Or in October last year, Rodri also outlined why Messi was more of a threat than Cristiano Ronaldo:<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;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,&#8221; said Rodri via beIn Sports.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>He continued:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;We didn\u2019t want Cristiano to step into the box because he was lethal there. But with Messi, the danger was everywhere on the pitch.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/cristiano-ronaldo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a> and Lionel Messi have shown no signs of slowing down of late. The Portuguese currently plies his trade with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr. <em>La Pulga<\/em>, meanwhile, plays for MLS side Inter Miami.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>How many Ballon d&#8217;Or have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi won so far?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sk-app-thumbnail\" alt=\"Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo\" src-low=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/02\/247aa-17385854739449-1920.jpg?w=640\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201277%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cristiano Ronaldo and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/lionel-messi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Lionel Messi<\/a> added more stars to the Ballon d&#8217;Or race in the past two decades. The two players maintained a historic dominance on the award, with no other player winning the top prize from 2008 to 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Ronaldo has lifted the Ballon d&#8217;Or five times in his career, while Messi has won it a record eight times. The Portuguese won the award for the first time as a Manchester United player in 2008. He lifted the Ballon d&#8217;Or four times as a Real Madrid man, in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <em>La Pulga<\/em> won the award six times as a Barcelona player. His first win, incidentally, was the start of a record run, with the player winning four consecutive Ballon d&#8217;Ors from 2009 to 2012.<\/p>\n<p>The Argentinean also won the award in 2015, and 2019 while he was at Camp Nou. Messi went on to lift the award with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2021, and with Inter Miami in 2023.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Ankush Das<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script> \nvar fbPixelFired = false;\nvar pixelID = \"952063904834769\";\ndocument.addEventListener(\"scroll\", loadFBPixel, { once: true, passive: true });\ndocument.addEventListener(\"mousemove\", loadFBPixel, { once: true, passive: true });\nfunction loadFBPixel() {\nif(fbPixelFired) {\nreturn;\n}\nfbPixelFired = true;\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? \nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\nn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, \ndocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\nfbq('init', pixelID); \nfbq('track', \"PageView\");\nfbq('track', 'ViewContent');\ndocument.removeEventListener(\"scroll\", loadFBPixel);\ndocument.removeEventListener(\"mousemove\", loadFBPixel);\n}\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/football\/without-doubt-when-rodri-picked-goat-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Manchester City midfielder Rodri once named Lionel Messi the GOAT ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spanish midfielder is aware of the qualities of both<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":270361,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270360"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}