Messi had god given gift but Ronaldo had to work hard: Evra

CHENNAI: Former FC Barcelona legend and World Cup winner Lionel Messi will defend the Copa America championship with Argentina, coinciding with the Euros. Former French national team captain and Premier League winner Patrice Evra in a conversation arranged by Sony Network said that, “I pick Ronaldo over Messi.” He elaborated, saying, “Messi was given a god-given gift that he got to play with those kids, but Ronaldo, he had to work hard to get where he is. I don’t like to compare, but in terms of work ethic, I will pick Ronaldo over Messi.”

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals to help Portugal beat Ireland 3-0 on Tuesday in a final warm-up before Roberto Martinez’s team heads to the European Championship in Germany.

Ronaldo, who sat out last week’s friendlies against Finland and Croatia, hit the post with a free kick in the 22nd minute shortly after Joao Felix opened the scoring. He then scored in the 50th and 60th minutes of the match.

Evra heaped praise on his former teammate, saying that, “He’s the best player for me. A lot of people are jealous and don’t want him to succeed.” Ronaldo scored 44 goals in 45 appearances for Al Nassr in the 2023/2024 season, and with the brace on Tuesday, he achieved the record of scoring more goals (78) for Portugal after turning 30 than Pele scored for Brazil (77) in his entire career. The 39-year-old becomes the first male player to score in 21 straight years for his national outfit. “People talk a lot about his age but I’ve never seen any 18-year-old who can do what Ronaldo does in the gym. He is very hardworking,” he added. “The Euros is a big tournament and I’m sure he will prove a lot of doubters wrong.”