It’s the best man-versus-man rivalry sports has seen since Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, but according to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, the world’s two best soccer players could one day become teammates.
Ancelotti believes that world superstars, “who’s the best player in the world” debate counterparts and combined winners of the last seven FIFA World Player of the Year/Ballon d’Or awards, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, (the two finished one-two in six of the seven years) will one day put their rivalry aside and join forces.
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“I think Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will one day play in the same team. I do,” the Italian manager said during a Wednesday press conference. “We need to bear in mind that Cristiano is Real’s flagship player, as Messi is Barcelona’s.
“With this in mind, it is quite difficult to see them together in the same team as both of them have history in their clubs. But it would be great for any team to have them both.”
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Messi has, of course, been the subject of much transfer speculation recently with the Argentine superstar’s future reportedly up in the air. Messi himself even admitted this week he is “not sure where [he] will be next year.”
Unsettling Messi and signing the 27-year-old from Barcelona’s grasp would be the ultimate diss in the Real vs. Barca, El Clasico rivalry. As for coaching a team with both players in it, the “problems” coming to mind are endless: Who takes the penalties? Free kicks? Who’s front and center in photo shoots? Who controls the locker room music? And on and on.
