Lionel Messi has said he couldn’t stand facing off against Sergio Ramos during their time as arch-rivals in La Liga.
The Argentine wizard and the steely centre-back were at loggerheads for years, battling it out in the high-stakes El Clasico showdowns – with Messi starring for Barcelona and Ramos the beating heart of Real Madrid‘s defence. Messi confessed on the Willing For Everything podcast: “I fought a lot with Sergio Ramos.
“He was the player I got the angriest with. Later we were team-mates, but we always clashed in the derbies, they were intense.” After years of locking horns, the pair would eventually joins forces at Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
READ MORE: Lionel Messi faced ‘difficult’ time with WAG Antonella and admits they ‘stopped talking’
READ MORE: Look inside Lionel Messi’s £8.5m mansion – and why Inter Miami star never leaves it
They teamed up to dominate Ligue 1, claiming the league title back-to-back in a star-studded team also including Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in attack. Touching on their rocky past, Messi acknowledged that things weren’t always smooth sailing between them.
Meanwhile, Ramos, reflecting on his battles with Messi, tipped his hat to his former adversary last year, hailing him as the GOAT of football, reports the Express. Chatting with PSG TV last year, the seasoned defender reminisced: “There was suffering for several years playing against Messi. I am now enjoying him. He is the best player football has ever produced.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Ramos made a nostalgic return to his childhood club, Sevilla, in 2023 for one final Spanish soiree – while Messi inked a deal with David Beckham’s Inter Miami the same year. While the former hung up his international boots last year, Messi, at 37, continues to be a key player in Argentina’s Copa America campaign this summer.
The talented forward has an impressive tally of 108 goals and 56 assists for his country, finally clinching the World Cup for Argentina in 2022 at his fifth attempt.
The South Americans are currently topping Group A following a 2-0 victory over Canada in their first match. Argentina are set to take on Chile this Wednesday, before squaring off against Peru in their last group stage match on Sunday.