“They could never enjoy what they’ve done” - Carragher makes big claim on Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi rivalry

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has made a big claim regarding Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's rivalry in a recent interview.

The legendary duo have been arguably the two best players in the world for over two decades, winning nearly every trophy and award available to them. They have since left Europe, with Lionel Messi now in the MLS and Cristiano Ronaldo plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League.

When asked about how their rivalry would have affected the two players, Jamie Carragher told Football365:

“They didn’t want to lose out to the other for trophies like the Ballon d’Or – that was always the big rivalry for them every season. They definitely made each other better. But I think they probably can’t appreciate that until they’ve finished. While they’re playing, I bet they can’t stand each other."

Noting that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remained on each other's necks, never resting, Carragher continued:

"No matter what one did, the other would come back at them. They could never rest. They could never enjoy what they’d done as much because they knew the other one would be coming back at them to go and get more goals."

"I always felt that if one of them scored a hat-trick, the next night the other one would go and get a hat-trick. They had to always completely outshine each other."

The Liverpool icon went on to state that Cristiano Ronaldo was more driven than Lionel Messi, who was seen as the better player by more people:

"It must have been tough mentally, that Messi-Ronaldo thing. And I’d say more so for Ronaldo because I think probably seven or eight people out of 10 would say Messi was the better player. That really must have driven Ronaldo on. No matter what he did, people still said that. That was a big thing in his career, his mentality."

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are no longer in Europe

After a lengthy career playing on the biggest stage of world football, the two players have left Europe entirely. While Ronaldo has gone on to light up Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, making more goal contributions than he has played games, Lionel Messi is making headlines with Inter Miami.

Ronaldo has 43 goals and 12 assists across 42 games in the Saudi Pro League since he left Manchester United. In Messi's first full season in Miami, he has already racked up nine goals and four assists in seven MLS games.

They have done the unexpected over the last 20 years, sharing a combined 13 Ballons d'Or, with Messi winning the award an unprecedented eight times. Ronaldo has five, which is, in itself, a hugely remarkable achievement, that has been surpassed by only one other player in history.

The legendary Portugal striker, however, has struggled to lead his country to win the FIFA World Cup. His Argentine counterpart, on the other hand, has managed to reach the final twice, recently winning it in the most recent edition in Qatar.