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Former world champion Amir Khan has claimed that he would pay to watch Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo in the boxing ring. The legendary players have dominated the world of football for nearly two decades, winning 13 Ballons d'Or between them.
Speaking to Instant Casino, Khan admitted that Messi and Ronaldo were unlikely to get in the ring together. However, he'd be happy to pay for a ticket if they ever do so. He said (via GOAL):
“That would be a great fight. I’d buy a ticket for that. We don’t know who the number one is. I like both - Ronaldo’s a great ambassador, so is Messi. But with the kind of money those guys are on, I don’t think they’d ever actually fight. They don’t need to.”
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When asked what advice he would give Messi on dealing with pitch invaders in the MLS, Khan added:
“Honestly, just run. He’s got so much to lose and give - don’t even try to fight back. He’s on such a huge wage, it’s not worth the risk. I get why they moved his bodyguard away, but really fans just want to touch him, hug him - they’re not trying to hurt him. They love him. It’s not like they’re out to harm him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi no longer compete regularly against one another as they have left European football. The Portuguese is at Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, while the Argentine plays for Inter Miami in the MLS.
When Anthony Joshua weighed in on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate
Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua once picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi. He pointed out that Messi was gifted with talent, while Ronaldo had to work extremely hard to get where he is.
During a 2023 interview with Misfits Boxing on YouTube, Joshua said:
“I am going Cristiano Ronaldo. They are both great, but I feel Messi is more of a natural, Ronaldo really had to work at it. Both work hard, of course, but Ronaldo needed to do more, and did it.”
When quizzed about a possible Messi vs Ronaldo boxing match, he added:
“Ronaldo. I love Messi and Ronaldo. Messi’s got that vision though. I can imagine him bobbing and weaving, angles, but yeah, it’d be tough. They’re both as good as each other.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could face off next year at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The former will be 41 while the latter will be close to 39 when the quadrennial event rolls around.
