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Real Madrid's Federico Valverde was tasked with picking between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during an interview in 2018. At the time, the Uruguay international was completing a loan spell at Deportivo La Coruna and was yet to establish his place in the Los Blancos squad.
Unfortunately, Valverde never got the chance to share the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu with Ronaldo, with the latter leaving for Juventus in the summer of 2018. However, he did get to face Messi on numerous occasions in La Liga, with the Argentine leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2021.
Overall, Messi and Valverde have faced each other 13 times for club and country, which may have played a part in the midfielder's decision. Claiming that he prefers the Inter Miami attacker over Ronaldo, Valverde told MARCA at the time:
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"Thank God I have had the opportunity to share with very beautiful and dreamed moments with great players."
It is difficult to separate Messi and Ronaldo, given their achievements in the sport. The former Barcelona man is an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, while the Portuguese sensation has claimed this prize on five occasions. Ronaldo has won the UEFA Champions League five times, three more than Messi.
With these two players seemingly in the final years of their careers, Valverde is considered to be in his prime. He's an integral part of the Real Madrid setup, having made 49 appearances across competitions this year, bagging eight goals and assists each.
Pepe chooses between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Portugal and Real Madrid teammate Pepe decided to back his ex-colleague over Lionel Messi in a recent interview. Speaking to the Times of India, he said:
"If I had to choose, I would say Cristiano because he's someone who has given a lot to football, especially his passion and his effort."
"Also I've been training with him for a long time, so I know him and he's been my teammate, so I know what training with him is like."
It isn't surprising to learn Pepe's choice, given he has shared the pitch 348 times across competitions for club and country with Ronaldo, bagging nine joint goal contributions.
Ronaldo currently plays his football for Suadi Pro League side Al-Nassr, where he's contracted till the end of the 2024/25 season. He's made 35 appearances across competitions this season, bagging 32 goals and four assists.
