There is no doubt that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the greatest players of all time.
Regardless of who you believe is the best, there is little doubt that living through what many view as the two GOATs has been a memorable experience.
Messi spent the majority of his career with Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain for two years before joining Inter Miami in the MLS this summer.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo began his career at Sporting before moving to Manchester United, where he rose to prominence, before spending a decade at Real Madrid, where he regularly faced off against Messi and Barcelona.
Following his departure from Old Trafford last year, Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr after spells at Juventus and United.
Both Ronaldo and Messi have won league crowns and Champions League winners’ medals at the club level, and they have a combined total of 13 Ballon d’Ors.
For several years, Ronaldo’s success on the international stage with Portugal, including the Euro 2016 title and the UEFA Nations League title, has been noted as a crucial differentiator.
That significant gap, however, was erased last winter when Messi and Argentina defeated France on penalties following a 3-3 stalemate to earn their third World Cup title.
A year after his victory in Qatar, Messi has pondered on that triumph.
But the adulation he now has from the Argentine audience was not always the same, with fans in his native country not having the same feelings for Messi as those at Barcelona had.
He is now relieved to have the love of an overwhelming number of Argentinians, which he describes as a “beautiful feeling.”
Messi said on the Champions, a Year Later programme on Disney Star+ (via ESPN): “I had a bad time. My family and the people who love me did too. They [critics in Argentina] were very unfair to a generation of players and they said a lot of bad things about me. I’m not spiteful.
“I feel it like a triumph for me to have changed that situation and won over all the people of Argentina. Today 95 percent or 100 percent of Argentines love me and that’s a beautiful feeling.
“I didn’t question why they [some Argentina fans] didn’t want me. I saw how they attacked me from many places. I was living in two opposite realities. In Barcelona, winning often and having full support, love and respect from everyone. In Argentina, it was a totally different situation with criticism everywhere.
“If you put in the effort, sacrifice, work, and humility, in the end, you achieve your goals. The road can be hard, but you have to keep fighting for your dreams to try to achieve them.
“I always loved playing football, coming to the national team, and being on the field but I never enjoyed it like today.”