“He deserved it for everything he gave to football” - Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal teammate on Lionel Messi winning World Cup

Only a handful of professional footballers have been lucky to play with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wolverhampton's Nelson Semedo is one. The full-back spoke about both icons in a recent interview and hailed the Argentine star for his FIFA World Cup triumph.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have arguably had the most iconic rivalry in professional sports history, and their respective careers have been remarkable. Their teammates have often spoken about them with great admiration and respect.

Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Nelson Semedo played with Messi during his time at Barcelona and with Ronaldo for the Portugal national team. In an interview with Sky Sports, Semedo revealed that he thinks Messi's triumph in Qatar last year was fully deserved. He said:

“It was really good to see him winning [the World Cup]. He deserved it as well for everything he gave to football.”

Messi managed to win the FIFA World Cup in his fifth attempt in 2022 after previously reaching the final in Brazil in 2014. He was instrumental in the victory, too, with seven goals and four assists in the tournament.

Semedo joined Barcelona from Benfica in 2017 and played alongside Lionel Messi for the next three years before joining Wolves. They played 108 times as teammates, and he won two league titles, one Copa del Rey and a Supercopa de Espana in his time at the club.

The 30-year-old right-back has played 21 times with Cristiano Ronaldo in his career for the Portugal national team. He was part of the team that won the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi defined an era of football

For much of the 21st century, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the sport. The legendary pair have duelled for their entire careers, with each pushing the other to new levels of greatness.

The dominance of Messi and Ronaldo can be seen by simply looking at their respective individual accolades. They have won 13 Ballons d'Or between them in 15 years between 2008 and 2023, with Messi winning eight and Ronaldo five.

Now playing in the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer respectively, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are at the final stages of their storied careers. They will meet one last time next year in the Riyadh Season Cup, and it will afford their fans a chance to possibly draw the curtain on their iconic rivalry.