The age-old debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is still ongoing even though the pair are nearing the end of their illustrious careers. The reason for preferring one over the other is subjective and depends on the fans’ preferences. It looks like Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has his reason, but the majority of the soccer world might agree with the French international.
Evra was arguably one of the best fullbacks to play in the English Premier League. He was crucial to every bit of success Man Utd tasted. This was the case with Cristiano Ronaldo as well. It is no secret that Evra has backed Ronaldo in the past to be the GOAT of soccer, but he claims that he has a good reason. Soccer fans will be surprised to know that it is not related to his ability on the pitch.
Patrice Evra claims Cristiano Ronaldo had to work for his success but Lionel Messi was naturally gifted
On the ‘Vibe with Five‘ podcast with Rio Ferdinand, Evra explained why Messi was not as impressive as Ronaldo. He said, “I’m in love with work ethic. I feel like Messi, you know, God just [gave] him a talent and said ‘go to play with those kids,’ and Cristiano [had] to work for it. Even if he had the talent, he had to work for it.”
“I think if Messi had the same work ethic as Cristiano, Messi would probably [have won] 15 Ballons d’Or today,” Evra added. It is no secret that Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the most hardworking athletes in sports. But as many of his former United teammates would claim, Ronaldo knew he had to work hard to succeed.
When CR7 came to Old Trafford, he was just a small 18-year-old teenager who just left his home country. He was skinny, which led opposition defenders to shrug him off the ball with ease. However, Ronaldo had to put in the work in the gym, and on the field in training as well.
Another former player, Darren Fletcher, has revealed in the past that Ronaldo wore ankle weights when practising step-overs. This helped him ensure that his feet were rapid during a game, without the weights.
Messi, on the other hand, is also undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes of all time. But many claim that his work ethic is second to Ronaldo’s. Evra believes that if Messi had the mentality similar to his rival’s, he would have bagged 15 Ballons d’Or now. Messi has the edge over Ronaldo in Ballon d’Or wins, with 7, where Ronaldo has 5.
It may be an exaggeration to claim outright that Messi was naturally gifted. He had to work hard for the countless number of trophies he has won as well, including the World Cup with Argentina. However, when it comes to work ethic, Evra claims that Ronaldo is unbeatable, which makes him the GOAT.
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