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Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has named Lionel Messi's bitter rival, Cristiano Ronald,o as the toughest opponent he has faced in his career. The Liverpool midfielder famously won the FIFA World Cup in 2022 alongside La Pulga.
The two were also part of the La Albiceleste squad that successfully defended their Copa America title in 2024. Mac Allister took part in a quick-fire questionnaire round with GOAL at the PFA Awards on Tuesday, August 19.
The 26-year-old was asked to name the best player he has played against, and he gave a swift response.
"Cristiano Ronaldo," said Mac Allister.
Mac Allister has faced the Portuguese thrice in his career in the Premier League, during the latter's second stint with Manchester United. The Argentine was with Brighton & Hove Albion during that period, and won two and lost one of those games.
Meanwhile, Mac Allister has shared the pitch 29 times with Lionel Messi, all for the national team, winning 26 and losing just twice. Mac Allister left the Seagulls in the summer of 2023 to move to Liverpool, and is now an integral part of Arne Slot's setup at Anfield. The Argentine midfielder scored seven goals and set up six more from 49 outings for the Merseyside club last season, helping them win the Premier League.
What has Lionel Messi said about his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo?
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi has insisted that his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo is only restricted to the football pitch. The two superstars of modern football have redefined football excellence since breaking into the scene around two decades ago.
Speaking at the FIFA Club World Cup in June this year, the Argentine insisted that there has always been mutual respect between the two of them.
“I hold a deep respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and everything he has achieved in his career, and continues to achieve, as he's still performing at an elite level,” said Messi.
He continued:
“Our rivalry was purely on the pitch, driven by our desire to give everything for our respective teams. Off the field, we’re just ordinary people. While we’re not friends in the traditional sense, as we don’t socialize, there has always been mutual respect between us.”
Lionel Messi recently became Inter Miami's record goalscorer and assist provider. The Argentine's contract with the Herons runs out at the end of this year and he hasn't signed an extension yet.
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.
Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.
Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.
Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.
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