Lionel Messi set to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo with new venture

Lionel Messi is set to provide competition to his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the commercial sphere. The Argentine superstar recently announced that he would be launching a new hydration drink.

The 36-year-old made the announcement via an Instagram post, saying:

“I'm so excited to be launching a game-changing hydration drink.”

Ronaldo is also in this market, having launched his product CR7 Drive in partnership with nutrition giant Herbalife. Messi's drink is expected to be launched in the summer, with reports that he has tied up with beverage company White Claw.

The energy drink market has blossomed in recent times. The Argentine will have to go up against top contenders like Gatorade while other options like Prime will also provide tough competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo far behind Lionel Messi in all-time list

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as the 10th best player of all time by the Daily Mail, a long way away from his rival Lionel Messi who is in first place. The news outlet recently ranked the top 50 players of all time, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona making the list as well.

Here is the top 10:

10. Cristiano Ronaldo

9. Zico

8. Garrincha

7. Ronaldo Nazario

6. Alfredo Di Stefano

5. Zinedine Zidane

4. Johan Cruyff

3. Diego Maradona

2. Pele

1. Lionel Messi

It is interesting to note that the two players, who enjoyed a heated rivalry during their time in La Liga, have been placed so far apart. The Portuguese superstar playing for Real Madrid had many memorable battles with the Argentine legend who featured for arch-rivals Barcelona.

Messi has achieved numerous records in football, culminating in a historic triumph at the 2022 World Cup. He has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and with the Blaugrana, lifted the Champions League four times and La Liga 10 times. He eventually left the Spanish giants in 2021, joining Paris Saint-Germain where he played for two seasons, winning Ligue 1 both times. He currently plays for MLS side Inter Miami, firing them to a Leagues Cup victory last season.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, began his career at Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon and then made the move to Manchester United. He won his first of five Ballon d'Or awards with the Red Devils and proceeded to make a then-world record move to Real Madrid in 2009 for £80 million.

He left for Serie A side Juventus in 2018 before making a comeback to United in 2021. However, he left the club in acrimonious circumstances in December 2022, moving to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.