Messi is already a legend without winning the World Cup – Ronaldo

The Custodian June 10, 2014

Brazil legend Ronaldo, has insisted that Lionel Messi is already a football legend, despite the fact the Argentina captain has never won the World Cup.

The Barcelona forward has already won four Ballon d’Or prizes and every club honour with the La Liga side and has been hailed as one of the greatest players of all time.
However, some critics feel that the 26-year-old needs to achieve international success with Argentina, before he can claim his place among the real greats of football – a fact that Ronaldo disagrees with.

“He can win that [the World Cup]. He has not retired yet, has he? And he is only 26,” Ronaldo told The Times of India.
“Moreover, in the history of football, there are players who did not win the World Cup but are considered as great as any other footballer.
“If you win the World Cup, it gives your status a boost. However, if you cannot, you can still be among the all-time best.
“I saw him [Messi] in Barcelona in his early years there and spoke about him with Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho was full of praise for the boy and when we saw him, we knew why Ronaldinho was so appreciative.
“Messi is really a different class. To win four consecutive Ballon d’Ors is a great achievement.”

The former Real Madrid player also spokes about his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently playing for the Los Blancos. He stated that the Portuguese forward has what it takes, to help his nation win the World Cup.
“He had given us, the Madridistas, what we were looking for, La Decima. I was so happy for him when he won the Ballon d’or this year. He deserved it,” Ronaldo continued.
“For Portugal, he has been playing well. He can set the grass on fire with his speed and powerful strikes. His headers are powerful too and he always out-jumps the defenders.
“Portugal are in a tough group but Cristiano should help his team qualify for the knockout and then, it can be anybody’s game.”