When Cristiano Ronaldo said playing alongside PSG superstar Lionel Messi for the same team would 'sell a lot of shirts'

Cristiano Ronaldo heaped praise on his rival Lionel Messi in a 2022 interview with Piers Morgan, claiming that if they played together, they would 'sell a lot of shirts.'

Ronaldo and Messi are widely regarded as the two greatest footballers of all time. They have dominated football for around 15 years, breaking records, winning trophies, and setting incredible standards. Their rivalry has been one of the fiercest in sports but the duo have nothing but respect for one another.

In November 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial interview with Piers Morgan was telecasted. The Portuguese ace slammed his then-club Manchester United, manager Erik ten Hag, and clubs legends like Wayne Rooney.

However, when asked about Lionel Messi, the Al-Nassr forward was all praises. He said (via The Daily Mail):

"Amazing player, he is magic, top. As a person, we share the stage 16 years, imagine, 16 years we share. So, I have great relationship with him.

"I'm not a friend of him in terms of, what I mean friend is the guy who was with you in your house, speaking on the phone, no, but it's like a team-mate."

He added:

"He's a guy that I really respect the way he always speaks about me. Even his wife or and my girlfriend, they always respect and they're from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. So good.

"What I am going to say about Messi? A great guy who does great things for football. Probably the best player I've ever seen (excluding myself). Maybe Zidane. That I play and fight with, yes."

Cristiano Ronaldo's future hung in balance at the time of the interview. When asked if he could join Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, he joked that they would 'sell a lot of shirts' if that happened.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's stats

Widely regarded as the two greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have racked up some incredible numbers.

Messi has won a record seven Ballons d'Or in his career. He has scored 709 goals and provided 338 assists in 871 games in club football for Barcelona and PSG. The 35-year-old has also registered 102 and 56 assists for Argentina. He helped them win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, winning the Golden Ball in the process.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has scored a massive 713 goals and provided 225 assists in 965 games for the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. He is also the top scorer in men's international football with 122 goals for Portugal. Ronaldo has won five Ballons d'Or.