The Club World Cup war! Why top players could go on strike

What next for Dele? Forgotten man's battle to save his career

Vinícius Júnior’s imperfect conception

World Cup power rankings: Brazil & Belgium have big problems!

Bronze strike sends Chelsea cruising into UWCL knockouts

Messi loses his cool & repeats Weghorst insult after slap from Peru defender

Neymar's future decided? Al-Hilal star buys €50m penthouse

Messi sends special message at end of 'unforgettable year' 

Rooney enjoying ‘boozy nights & takeaways’ without wife Coleen

Neymar told he’s ‘same level as Messi’ but ‘ruined career’

'Tears for Arteta!' - Guardiola's new contract spells bad news for Arsenal

Vini outshone by Valverde as Brazil held by Uruguay

Why Messi is ‘different case’ for Argentina & ‘always plays’

Manchester City

Manchester United

Liverpool

Arsenal

Chelsea

Other

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Rodri shared his view on the GOAT debate</li><li>Explained how Messi is different from Ronaldo</li><li>Believes Messi spelt "danger everywhere" on the pitch</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

Ballon d'Or winner Rodri weighs in on the GOAT debate as he explains the difference between facing Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo

<p>The Euro 2024 winner beat <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/rodri-wouldn-t-have-even-chosen-vinicius-junior-ballon-d-or-runner-up-man-city-star-condemns-real-madrid-decision-boycott-2024-ceremony/bltb2bde8cb38460841" target="_blank">Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. to secure the honour at a prestigious ceremony</a> held in Paris in October, becoming the first Premier League player to win the Golden Ball since Ronaldo did so in 2008 during his time at Manchester United. This year's ceremony was notably historic as it was the first since 2003 that neither Messi nor the Portuguese featured on the final 30-man shortlist. The two legends have shared an incredible rivalry over the past two decades, with Ronaldo winning five titles and Messi eight - a record in itself.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>Rodri shared his experiences from his La Liga days at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid when he had the responsibility to contain both Ronaldo and Messi as they terrorised defences for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Speaking candidly in an interview with <em>El Hormiguero</em>, the Spanish midfielder stated: "Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, without any doubt. Cristiano has managed to match Messi without innate talent. But those of us who have played against them can see the difference. We didn’t want Cristiano to step into the box because he was lethal there. But with Messi, the danger was everywhere on the pitch."</p><p>He added: "When Messi got the ball, you’d think: 'Oh, danger'. When I first started playing against him, I tried to take the ball from him, and he dodged you as if you were a bull in the ring. The feeling I had was that something bad was about to happen."</p>

WHAT RODRI SAID

<p>Interestingly, back in August, when <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/rodri-snubs-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-goat-debate-names-manchester-city-team-mate/blt003b929a656099c2#cs7ba2ddb9f2236cd7" target="_blank"><strong>GOAL </strong>asked Rodri who was the greatest of all time</a>, he snubbed both Messi and Ronaldo and instead chose Kevin De Bruyne.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-57bWuOJxb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=416027d2-7cdc-4833-9307-2ea78b23f00d" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
  <div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-57bWuOJxb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=416027d2-7cdc-4833-9307-2ea78b23f00d" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">
      <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
        <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
        <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
      <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
          <g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
            <g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000">
              <g>
                <path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path>
              </g>
            </g>
          </g>
        </svg></div>
      <div style="padding-top: 8px;">
        <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div>
      </div>
      <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
      <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
        <div>
          <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
          <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
          <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
        </div>
        <div style="margin-left: 8px;">
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
          <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div>
        </div>
        <div style="margin-left: auto;">
          <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
          <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
          <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
        <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
        <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
      </div>
    </a>
  </div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p></p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Rodri’s incredible Ballon d'Or <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/rodri-etihad-stadium-return-ballon-dor-winner-special-ovation-man-city-tottenham-acl-injury/bltf6c99a1fb1ac7aed#csd5ec7f7304823d0f" target="_blank">achievement will be celebrated in grand fashion at the Etihad Stadium</a> ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming match against Tottenham on Saturday. The midfielder is set to receive a special ovation from fans as he returns to Manchester after spending months recovering in Spain following surgery on his ACL injury. His absence has been keenly felt by Pep Guardiola’s side, who have endured a challenging period with four consecutive defeats in his absence.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

Ballon d'Or winner Rodri weighs in on the GOAT debate as he explains the difference between facing Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo | Goal.com

Manchester City star Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d&apos;Or and has now weighed in on the GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ballon d&apos;Or winner Rodri weighs in on the GOAT debate as he explains the difference between facing Lionel Messi &amp; Cristiano Ronaldo