Former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez chooses who he would like on his team between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez has revealed who between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi he would like in his team. The Colombian star joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2014, fresh off his exploits with his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Rodriguez shared the pitch with the Portuguese superstar 86 times, contributing 18 goals together. The Colombian won multiple trophies with the LaLiga giants before joining Bayern Munich on loan in 2017. Rodriguez spent two seasons with the Bavarians before returning to Real Madrid in 2019. He left Los Blancos permanently in 2020 to move to Everton.

Rodriguez was recently asked which player he would like on his team. Despite playing with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, the Colombian revealed that he would prefer to have Lionel Messi by his side.

"Player I would like to play in my team? Messi," said Rodriguez (via Barca Universal).

Interestingly, the Colombian has faced Lionel Messi eight times in his career so far, winning two and losing six games. La Pulga currently plays for MLS side Inter Miami although his contract with the Herons expires at the end of this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr and has entered the final six months of his contract with the club. Despite being in the twilight of their careers, the two superstars of modern football continue to divide opinion among fans and footballers alike.

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What is Cristiano Ronaldo's record for Real Madrid against Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo faced Lionel Messi 35 times in his career during his time with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. Their rivalry was at its peak during their time together in Spain. CR7 face La Pulga 31 times during his time with Los Blancos, adding more glamour to the highly anticipated El Clasico.

Real Madrid won only nine of those fixtures, with Barcelona coming out on top on 14 occasions. Ronaldo left the LaLiga champions in the summer of 2018 to move to Juventus.

Messi, meanwhile, parted ways with the Catalans in 2021 as a free agent to move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). After two seasons in Ligue 1, the Argentinean moved to the MLS to join Inter Miami.

CR7, meanwhile, returned to Manchester United in 2021 for a brief stay before moving to the Middle East in December 2022.