Cristiano Ronaldo tells Lionel Messi: ‘Be like me, challenge yourself, come to Italy’
- Portuguese star says he would be delighted if his Argentine rival joins a Serie A club
- Five-time world player of the year says he is happy at Juventus and as hungry as ever
Cristiano Ronaldo has urged long-time rival Lionel Messi to be more like him and push his limits by challenging himself in another league than Spain.
“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,” Ronaldo told the Italian press on Monday.
The two strikers have been rivals for the past decade, winning five Ballon d’Or trophies each before their domination was broken by World Cup runner-up Luka Modric last week.
Asked if he missed the 31-year-old Argentinian, who has spent his entire senior career at Barcelona, Ronaldo replied: “No, maybe it’s him who misses me.
“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.