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Dirk Nowitzki recently took a cheeky dig at Cristiano Ronaldo while naming Lionel Messi as his favorite footballer. He has also claimed that the Portuguese star's celebration of taking his shirt off and attracting attention is not his style.
Nowitzki stated that Messi was 'super quick' and was low-key, and he could relate to the Argentine more than anyone else. He told CBS Sports via The Athletic:
"I'm a Messi guy. I don't know how he carries himself or how he plays; he is a little super quick, like super fast. Ronaldo is one of the fastest players in the game, too. Ronaldo to me, the shirt off and the, 'Hey hey look at me', it's just not my style. Messi to me is way more low-key and I could identify more of that."
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been regarded as two of the greatest footballers ever.
Cristiano Ronaldo believes his rivalry with Lionel Messi is done
Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that his rivalry with Lionel Messi is over. He believes that the two have pushed each to greater heights, and changed the history of football.
However, Ronaldo added that the two have now left Europe to focus on their own paths and are no longer rivals. He said via ESPN:
"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi and vice versa. We've done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing."
Ronaldo added:
"He's followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I've seen, he's been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don't see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I'm not saying we're friends, I've never had dinner with him, but we're professional colleagues and we respect each other."
Ronaldo and Messi have faced off 36 times for club and country. The Argentine has won 16 times, while losing 11 times to the Portuguese star.
