"My grandson is already taller than him" - When Cristiano Ronaldo's mother made a lighthearted remark on Lionel Messi's height

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother Dolores Aveiro once mocked Lionel Messi for being short. The diminutive Argentinean has a long-standing rivalry with the Portuguese superstar, which has carried over to their family members as well.

However, Ronaldo's eldest son, Cristiano Jr., is apparently a huge fan of La Pulga and even considers him his idol. The youngster once came face to face with the Inter Miami superstar at the 2017 Ballon d'Or award ceremony.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the top prize that year - his fifth Ballon d'Or - to temporarily go level with Lionel Messi, who finished second. They were together backstage before the event, where the Portuguese also had his eldest son by his side.

The young boy was in awe at spotting his idol. La Pulga noticed him, came over to hug him, and had a quick chat in a wholesome moment caught on camera.

Recalling the incident in an interview in 2022, as cited by Sport Bible via MARCA, Dolores insisted that her grandson is already taller than Messi:

"I was with him and I said, 'look, it's Messi,' and he replied, 'that's not Messi, he's short. Then my son encouraged him to wave. Messi is a very good person. My grandson is already taller than him, [laughs] it was a very fun moment," said Dolores Aveiro.

The 2017 Ballon d'Or would be Cristiano Ronaldo's final win at the award. Lionel Messi would go on to win the prestigious trophy three more times and currently has a record eight Ballon d'Or titles to his name.

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How many European Golden Shoes have Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have also dominated the European Golden Shoe award during their time in Europe. The Portuguese superstar has won the iconic award four times, while La Pulga has won it a record six times.

The European Golden Shoe is a title bestowed to the best goalscorer in the European leagues in a season. Since 1997, the award has been calculated based on a weighting system that favors the highest-ranked leagues.

Ronaldo won the award for the first time in the 2007-08 season, as a Manchester United player. Ronaldo won it on three more occasions after joining Real Madrid.

Messi, meanwhile, won the European Golden Shoe for the first time in the 2009-10 campaign and all his six wins were as a Barcelona player. The Argentinean is the only player in history to have won the award by scoring 50 league goals, which he achieved in the 2011-12 campaign.