Ballon d'Or winner Rodri reveals why Lionel Messi is the best footballer

After winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Manchester City player Rodri has now spoken on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT argument. The UEFA Euro 2024 champion became the first Premier League star to take home the Golden Ball after Ronaldo did it in 2008 while he was at Manchester United, defeating Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid to do so at a famous event in Paris in October. 

The fact that neither Messi as well as the Portuguese were on the last 30-man shortlist for the first time since 2003 made this year's event particularly significant. Over the previous 20 years, the two giants have had an amazing rivalry, with Messi setting a record of eight trophies and Ronaldo winning five.

Rodri talked about his experiences playing La Liga for Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, where he was in charge of keeping Ronaldo and Messi in check as they terrorized Real Madrid and FC Barcelona's defenses, respectively. 

The Spanish midfielder was open in a conversation with El Hormiguero, as he 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."

“I tried to take the ball from him” : Rodri on Lionel Messi

The former Atletico Madrid midfielder 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."

Before Manchester City's match versus Tottenham on Saturday, Rodri's amazing Ballon d'Or accomplishment will be lavishly recognized at the Etihad Stadium. Fans are expected to give the midfield player a standing ovation when he comes back to Manchester after recuperating in Spain for months after having surgery for an ACL tear. Pep Guardiola's team has been feeling the effects of his absence, suffering four straight losses during that difficult time.