Cristiano Ronaldo makes 'very difficult' Lionel Messi claim with time almost up
Cristiano Ronaldo has not ruled out playing alongside long-time rival Lionel Messi before the end of his career, but has admitted it would be very difficult to do so, with time running out. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar is set to see his contract with Al Nassr expire at the end of the month.
Both Ronaldo, 40, and Messi, 37, are likely in the twilight years of their careers with the former playing in the Saudi Pro League and the latter in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. Nevertheless Ronaldo finished as top goalscorer in his division, while Messi has 10 goals in his 12 starts this season.
Seeing the GOAT contenders playing in the same colours appears unlikely even with Ronaldo possibly eyeing a fresh move however. Although, the ex-Juventus sharpshooter did find some interest from Argentina ahead of the Club World Cup in the United States.
It is clear Ronaldo has respect for the nation and his adversary however. Asked about the prospect, Ronaldo provided a thoughtful answer.
"You know I have a lot of affection for Argentina, my wife is from there," Ronaldo replied. "I have already been invited to play in the Club World Cup for an Argentine club.
"You never know… the time is there. I am already 40 years old, but you never know. But I think it is very difficult. I have never been to Argentina, I want to go, I have a lot of affection for the Argentines.
"And I have affection for Messi, we were rivals for many years, but I have already said that we were in that scenario for 15 years and I remember that before he didn't speak any English, I don't know if he does now. And I translated for him when they explained to us what we had to do at a gala.
"I have affection for him, he has always treated me well and respected me as I respect him. I find it very difficult, but you never know."
With less than a month remaining on Ronaldo's deal, there has been no shortage of speculation over his next step. To some degree, there was an expectation a deal would be set up to see him play in the Club World Cup, but Ronaldo has now suggested the possibility of that is noow over.
"It's irrelevant, at this moment it doesn't make sense to talk about other things other than the national team," he said. "There have been a lot of contacts, I see things that make sense, others that don't, as the other guy says, you can't go to everything, you have to think short, medium and long term.
"It's a decision that has practically been made on my part, which is not to go to the Club World Cup, but I've had a lot of invitations."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Hated Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri refusing to sell club for less than £100m in another huge blow
A Donald Trump ally has been linked with buying the Owls JUDGEMENT DAY Hated Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri refusing to sell club for less than £100m in another huge blow Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY owner Dejphon Chansiri still wants a staggering £100m for the troubled club. The Owls are still in debt and face signing restrictions with a reduced squad. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Dejphon Chansiri is still demanding big money for Sheffield Wednesday Credit: Alamy Wednesday missed player pay days for two consecutive months in June and July. Earlier this month, SunSport reported that Chansiri owes more than £4million in football debts — which will have to be paid by whoever buys the club. The extent of the cash woes emerged during takeover bids by several groups in the prior weeks. Earlier this month it was reported that US businessman Tilman Fertitta was in talks to buy the crisis club. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL HE'S THE GUEYE Man Utd hijack Brentford bid for wonderkid days after snaring £71m Mbeumo Fertitta, 68, is the US ambassador for Italy and is an ally of Donald Trump. The businessman also owns the Houston Rockets in the NBA. Wednesday manager Danny Rohl initially did not show up for pre season amid the club's woes. The 36-year-old eventually returned but has had to work with a threadbare squad. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The Owls beat Mansfield 2-0 in a training ground friendly yesterday. Club stalwarts Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson did not feature, despite having trained with the Owls in recent weeks. Leicester finally appoint manager to replace sacked Ruud van Nistelrooy as Foxes hire ex-Championship boss Both players have been out of contract since June 30. It remains to be seen whether Wednesday's sorry situation will have improved by their Championship opener against Leicester City on August 10.
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
Superstar in the making - Lottie Woad wins Women's Scottish Open on pro debut
English player rounds off impressive performance by landing three-shot success at Dundonald Links Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Impressive in Ireland. Fantastic in France. Superb in Scotland. Now her aim is to be wonderful in Wales. Step forward Lottie Woad, who capped a fairytale July by winning the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open by three shots at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire. The 21-year-old from Hampshire won the KPMG Women's Irish Open at Carton House as an amateur at the start of the month before finishing second in The Evian Championship, the penultimate women's major of the season, in France. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lottie Woad poses with the trophy after winning the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links |On the back of those eye-catching efforts, the spotlight was on Woad as she made her professional debut on Scottish soil and, boy, did she make the sporting world sit up and take notice. At no point over the course of the four days in the $2 million event did she ever look as though she was flustered, even if her reddened face might sometimes give that impression. The truth of the matter is that Woad is a bit shy and probably feels a bit uncomfortable being the centre of attention, but, on the evidence of the past few weeks, she is going to have to get used to it. In short, she's a superstar in the making. 'Very special to win in my first event,' she said of this success. 'You know, everyone was chasing me today, and I managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots, which is nice.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Two ahead at the start of the day in the LET and LPGA co-sanctioned event, Woad was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Korean Hyo Joo Kim early on the back nine and the pair were still locked together as Woad played the 14th and Kim tackled the 15th. Almost at the same time, Woad rolled in a five-footer for a birdie at her hole while Kim missed from the same distance for a par in the match in front. Event over. Signing for a closing 68, Woad finished with a 21-under-par total, which had also been her winning aggregate in Ireland. Due to her amateur status, she didn't pick up the winner's cheque on that occasion, but this title triumph led to $300,000 being deposited in her bank account. Lottie Woad embraces her caddie Dermot Byrne as she celebrates victory on her professional debut |'I don't even know what the winner's cheque is,' she admitted. 'But, yeah, I mean, a lot of people have obviously talked about me not winning any money. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But I knew going into this event, at the start, I wasn't going to win any money. Didn't make too much difference. And then I knew if I kept playing how I was, then it would all work out.' She described her exploits in July as 'pretty good' and, on this evidence, August could be tasty, too. It starts with an appearance in the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl and, 12 months after finishing as the leading amateur at St Andrews, it seems as though she'll be a contender for the top prize this time around. 'Yeah. Just looking to continue the momentum, really,' she said of her next assignment, which starts on Thursday. Woad, who underlined her potential when winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2023, is just the third player to win in their first start on the LPGA Tour as a member, joining Jin Young Ko (2018 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open) and Beverly Hanson (1951 Eastern Open). She also became the ninth player to win in their first professional start in an official LPGA Tour event since 1980 and the first since American Rose Zhang achieved the feat in the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open as a non-LPGA member. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I felt pretty good going down 18 because I knew I had a two-shot lead and just hit an 80-yard lay-up and an 80-yard shot,' said Woad. 'So I felt pretty confident coming down there. It was always nice to finish with a birdie. So just had like a two-footer, which is a nice length, so, yeah, happy.' Rightly so and, in addition to her mum and dad, Rachel and Nick, there to see it were her granny Marian and auntie Sarah. 'They are not Scottish,' she reported. 'They live in Edinburgh. So I'm up here quite a bit.' Her aunty moved to Scotland after marrying a Scot, but Woad was unsure why her granny is up here. 'Maybe Sarah, my aunt, is the favourite child and she wanted to be near her,' she joked. Though five players started out on Sunday still in with a chance, it had turned into a two-horse race at the turn and, though Kim gave it a great go and deserved to end up as the bridesmaid, there was no denying that Woad never looked under any pressure and, moreover, never wobbled at any point. Lottie Woad's grandmother Marian, who lives in Edinburgh, watches the last round at Dundonald Links from a buggy |'Yeah, it might have looked less stressful than maybe it was at times, but I think I only had like three bogeys,' said Woad of her week's work. 'On links golf, it's definitely about bogey avoidance. That was probably the key to winning.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As was her wedge play, which was stunning from 120 yards in and also around the green, where she opted to take a club with loft on it rather than a putter. 'My wedges have always been a strength, and my approaches in general, I can usually rely on it and control the spin pretty nicely,' she said, smiling. After signing off with a best-of-the-day 65, Spaniard Julia Lopez Ramirez shared third spot with Korean Sei Young Kim on 14 under, with Nelly Korda finishing a further stroke behind in fifth spot.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Not common to witness this at 15' – Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal fans in being blown away by Max Dowman against Newcastle
To the Max 'Not common to witness this at 15' – Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal fans in being blown away by Max Dowman against Newcastle Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MIKEL ARTETA has joined the chorus of Arsenal fans who have been left astonished by the exploits of Max Dowman. Dowman, 15, stole the show in a half hour cameo as the Gunners edged out Newcastle 3-2 in a friendly. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Max Dowman put in an impressive display in a 30-minute cameo for Arsenal against Newcastle Credit: Getty 4 The 15-year-old lit up the pitch after being brought on by Mikel Arteta Credit: Getty 4 And his performance left fans buzzing Credit: Reuters The teenager made a mockery of established Premier League defenders during the clash in Singapore as he won the penalty - scored by Martin Odegaard - which sealed the deal in Arsenal's favour. He didn't just pass the eye test either, with an impressive stat line including two out of three successful dribbles, two shots on target and being the most fouled player in the whole game hammering home his potential. Speaking after the match, even Arsenal boss Arteta was unable to tone down his high-hopes for the prodigy. He said: "Yeah, it is special. Obviously what he's done today against this team in the time that he had on the pitch is something certainly not common to witness for a 15-year-old. "We are extremely happy to have him. I think again the environment that he's around in. "His family, the people at the club and around the academy as well, super helpful because they put him into this position so early in his journey, having a real chance and a real presence when he plays for the first time." Despite not turning 16 until December, Dowman will be eligible to star for the Emirates outfit's first team next season. And Arsenal fans have high hopes for the youngster's upcoming season. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Talk TV host and Sun columnist Piers Morgan said on social media: "This kid is the real deal.. 15 years old and running rings round Newcastle's first team? Nuts.. and so exciting." A second said: "Lionel Messi, I hope you enjoyed your time as the greatest footballer of all time because Max Dowman is here now." Arsenal CONFIRM £63.5million Viktor Gyokeres transfer as striker takes iconic No14 made famous by Thierry Henry A third added: "I don't think people realize how good Max Dowman is and what he could become. At 15, he looked like the best player on the pitch. This is a Lamine Yamal level of talent." Another said: "Hale End producing a world beater in Max Dowman. Doing this against senior Newcastle players to win a penalty at 15?? Lost for words…" A fifth said: "Can't lie Max Dowman might be the best 15 yr old English player I have seen. The kid is a joke."
