Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Real Madrid legend Luka Modric chooses between the two superstars

Lionel Messi And Christiano Ronaldo are the players who have defined football in this century. Their professional careers have unfolded almost in parallel – just a year and a half apart in age – and they have dominated the sport for the past two decades. Now, Real Madrid icon Luka Modric weighed on the long-standing comparisons between the two.

During a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, Modrian was asked who his preference is between Messi and Ronaldo, and he started his answer with complete honesty. “That’s a question I don’t like,” admitted the Croatian midfielder. “They defined an era.”

Still, Luka played along with the journalists and made his preference between the two football superstars clear. “I am closer to Cristiano because I played with him. He was my teammate at Madrid,” he says. Modric explained.

When discussing what makes Ronaldo such a special figure, the AC Milan midfielder was direct. ‘I assure you he’s not just a great football player; he is an incredible person. People don’t know it, but he has a big heart, always ready to help others. And he is a simple, normal man.”

During that same interview, Modric even recalled a story from his early years at Real Madrid, in which Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after being reprimanded by then head coach Jose Mourinhowhich highlights a personal side of CR7 that few people know.

see also

‘Messi is the best,’ claims former Cristiano Ronaldo teammate and Real Madrid legend

Modric shares his opinion about Messi

After choosing Cristiano Ronaldo based on their personal bond after years together at Real Madrid, Luka Modric was asked specifically about Lionel Messi. ‘I don’t know him as a man, but I have no doubt that he is also extraordinary’ the Croatian player explained.

Luka then talked about what he knows best about Messi: his qualities on the field. “As a player he is fantastic” Modric said, clearly expressing his admiration for what the Argentine forward has achieved throughout his career.

Modric broke the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo

Luka Modric’s opinion carries particular weight as he has been one of football’s biggest stars over the past decade. He spent years at Real Madrid alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and was a frequent rival of Lionel Messi in unforgettable games against Barcelona.

Modric also has an award that gives him unique authority in this debate. The Croatian midfielder was the player who ended the dominance of the two superstars at the top of world football.

In 2018, Messi and Ronaldo had won the title Ballon d’Or for 10 consecutive years, with five trophies each. That year, however, Luka Modric stunned the football world by winning the Ballon d’Or in recognition of his achievements at both club and international level. He just had the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and led a month later Croatia to the final of the FIFA World Cup 2018where they lost France.

Afterwards, Messi and Ronaldo remained dominant figures on the global football stage, but eventually the door was opened for other stars to compete at a similar level, including Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Rodri, And Ousmane Dembele.