“He had an extraordinary career especially with Real Madrid” – Ancelotti on Ronaldo vs Messi rivalry after Argentine superstar wins World Cup

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's intense rivalry motivated them for over a decade, adding that Messi's FIFA World Cup triumph does not overshadow Ronaldo's achievements.

The Italian manager lauded the 37-year-old Portuguese superstar for his record-breaking achievements in his glorious career, especially with Los Blancos.

Argentina fans and many football pundits claim that Messi is the undisputed 'GOAT' who has ended the infamous debate with his Portuguese rival after lifting the World Cup trophy on Sunday, December 18.

However, Real Madrid manager Ancelotti believes that both Messi and Ronaldo have a legacy of their own and no trophy puts them one above the other in the decade-long rivalry that they have had. He said as quoted by MadridXtra:

“The Ronaldo & Messi rivalry motivated both of them and kept the competition high. Messi ended with a World Cup & Ronaldo didn’t, but he had an extraordinary career, especially with Real Madrid.”

Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists in the 2022 FIFA World Cup to make his dream of winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina come true after a thrilling final against France.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo managed to score just one goal in this edition of the tournament, amidst continuous media hounding after his controversial exit from Manchester United.

Despite a disappointing last year in his professional career, the Portuguese legend remains one of the greatest players of all time, with 701 club goals and 118 international goals.

Ancelotti holds the Portuguese international in high regard, especially for his achievements in Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's highest-ever goal scorer with 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 appearances. Amongst the numerous trophies that he has won with Los Blancos, his four Champions League trophies shine the brightest.

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Real Madrid star lauds Argentina legend Lionel Messi after his FIFA World Cup triumph

Congratulatory messages and tributes are pouring in for the 35-year-old Argentina legend Lionel Messi as completed his dream of winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.

Joining millions of fans and football pundits, Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate at Real Madrid, Toni Kroos, lauded Messi's efforts on Argentina's road to World Cup glory.

The German international believes he has never seen a player as consistent as the former Barcelona superstar. Complementing the Argentine for his fantastic run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Kroos said:

“I’ve never seen a player play as consistently as Messi and he played for clubs I don’t like so it proves I mean it.”

Meanwhile, Messi has cleared his intentions regarding his future with Argentina, saying that he wants to continue playing for the national team.