“They’re the only two opponents I’ve been afraid of” - When Steven Gerrard explained why he was ‘scared’ to face Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, back in 2015, opened up on the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the footballing world. He admitted that he was 'scared' to face the duo, who have dominated the sport for the better part of the 21st century so far.

The Englishman heaped praise on Ronaldo and Messi, saying they had been operating on a level above the rest of the field. In conversation with the Mirror, Gerrard said (via GiveMeSport):

"We’re living in an era where Messi and Ronaldo are taking forward play to a level we’ve never seen before. We are all blessed that we are seeing these two in the same era.

"They are the only two opponents I’ve been afraid of in my career, because they are the only two who have been operating on a different planet to everyone else. The reason I was scared of them is because they are deadly in the final third of the pitch."

Gerrard faced Messi twice in his career, with both games coming in the 2006/07 Champions League season. While Barcelona triumphed in one match, Liverpool came out on top in the other.

Ronaldo and the Reds legend have come up against each other on 13 occasions, understandably so as the Portuguese spent a good chunk of his playing career in England. While the former Manchester United attacker scored twice against Gerrard's team, the former midfielder scored once.

When Steven Gerrard picked between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Steven Gerrard was asked to make his five-a-side team while on The Greatest Game with Jamie Carragher podcast in March 2024. The Al-Ettifaq manager picked the Argentine, and not the Portuguese, and explained his decision by saying:

"There are certain players who are on a different level to anyone else out there, Messi and Ronaldo."

He added:

“But Ronaldo doesn’t get in my team. I am more about what you are going to do for the team. What are we going to achieve together? Ronaldo will win you things but I am more about a team player than an individual player, so I’ll always go down that road.”

Ronaldo's Al Nassr and Gerrard's Al Ettifaq have come up once against each other this season so far, with the former coming out on top 3-0 in September last year,