"My quality is the same level" - Mario Balotelli suggests he's not jealous of the careers of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Italy international Mario Balotelli has insisted that had it not been for “some missed chances” he would’ve achieved just as much as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Balotelli, who currently plies his trade at Super Lig club Adana Demirspor, was once rated as one of the sharpest forwards in Europe. Unfortunately, due to a lack of professionalism and commitment to his craft, he quickly lost his place in the world of football.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, on the other hand, have dominated the sport for the last 15 years. Despite having 12 Ballon d’Ors between them, they are eager to push their limits and add a few more trophies to their collection.

The two superstars are hailed as the best of this generation, and Balotelli believes his footballing quality is right up there with them.

In an interview with Athletic, Balotelli stated that had he not missed his chances, he’d be up there with the Portuguese and the Argentine. He said:

“I missed some chances to be at that level. But I am 100 per cent sure that my quality is the same level as these people, but I… I missed some chances, you know? It happens.”

The 32-year-old added that although he was not as good as the Manchester United no. 7 anymore, he was not jealous of his quality.

Balotelli continued:

“And nowadays, I cannot say I’m as good as Ronaldo, because Ronaldo won how many golden balls (Ballons d’Or)? Five? You cannot compare yourself to Messi and Ronaldo, nobody can. But if we’re talking about only quality, football quality, I have nothing to be jealous of them, to be honest.”

Balotelli has plied his trade at clubs like Manchester City, Inter Milan, Liverpool, and AC Milan. He has bagged 185 goals in his career so far, winning four league titles and one Champions League amongst other honors.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are struggling to find their shooting boots in 2022

The former El Clasico rivals have both underperformed in front of goal since the start of the year. While the Portuguese superstar has only scored once since January, Messi has also been nowhere near his imperious best in front of goal.

With both firmly on the wrong side of 30, it is probably time for fans to lower their expectations. Chances are, they will not turn back the clock and bring back the glory days. However, given their track record, we would not put it past them to produce occasional man-of-the-match performances.

So far, the 37-year-old Portuguese has scored 15 goals for Manchester United this season, while the Argentine has netted seven strikes for PSG in all competitions.