“Accompanied by very good players, we have to be grateful for it” - Ex-Barcelona star weighs in on Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi rivalry

Real Betis goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has shared his honest take on the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Bravo played against both of them during his spell at Real Sociedad. He also played alongside Messi at Barcelona. The Chilean has now opined that Messi and Ronaldo playing in La Liga at the same time was a 'luxury'.

Bravo added that apart from the duo's individual qualities, the fact that they were surrounded by world-class players helped them. He said (via Mundo Deportivo):

"Having Cristiano and Messi in La Liga was a luxury, because the healthy competition between them to be the best allowed the fans to have a lot of fun. But Messi and Cristiano, being the best, were accompanied by very good players on their team and that too, we have to be grateful for that."

Lionel Messi, during his time at Barcelona, played alongside modern-day legends like Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, and more. Cristiano Ronaldo also had superb teammates at Real Madrid. Mesut Ozil, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are some of the world-class players he shared the pitch with.

Leon Bailey's agent claims the Jamaica international can succeed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently 39 and Lionel Messi will turn 37 in June. Hence, fans are now keen to see a player take over from them.

Aston Villa star Leon Bailey's agent Craig Butler has named his client as an unlikely candidate. Butler claimed that Baliey hasn't hit 40% of his potential yet. He said (via GOAL):

"Messi's getting older, Cristiano's getting older, Neymar has injury problems and getting older, Kylian Mbappe as well. Leon has no cap on his potential. You've not seen anything yet."

Bailey, however, is already 26-year-old. He has scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists in 41 appearances across competitions this season. While his quality is evident, Bailey needs to turn up in performances by several notches if he is to become the best player in the world.