‘Maybe it’s him who misses me’ – Cristiano Ronaldo opens up on transfer advice to Lionel Messi

Portugal skipper, Cristiano Ronaldo offered Lionel Messi to play Serie A, club football of Italy back in 2019, at the same time when he was playing for Juventus. He was bought by the side for €117 million from Real Madrid in the 2018 summer transfer window. The two legendary players’ long-running rivalry in La Liga came to an end when he moved to Italy.

Messi continued to play for Barcelona for three more years before moving for free to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2021.“I’d like him to come to Italy one day. I hope he accepts the challenge like me, but if he’s happy there then I respect that. No, maybe it’s him who misses me,” Ronaldo was quoted as saying to the reporters in December 2018 via Scroll.

I’ve proven I’m still an incredible player: Cristiano Ronaldo

“I’ve played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and for my national team, while he’s still in Spain. Maybe he needs me more… For me, life is a challenge, I like it and I like to make people happy. He’s a fantastic player and a good guy, but I don’t miss anything here. This is my new life and I’m happy. I left my comfort zone and took on this challenge here in Turin, everything has gone well, I’ve proven I’m still an incredible player,” the 38-year-old asserted.

Ronaldo played three seasons for Juventus before returning back to Manchester United in 2021. He left the Red Devils in November and joined Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. While on the other hand, Messi played only two seasons before moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami, which is owned by David Beckham.

With Barcelona, the Argentine won 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League (UCL) trophies, whereas his rival, won two league championships and four UCL trophies with Real Madrid. In the 36 games in which Messi and Ronaldo have faced off, Messi has scored 22 goals while Ronaldo has scored 21. The former has won seven Ballons d’Or, while the latter has taken home five.