• Businessman says all players should join world’s top club • Ronaldo’s agent says plan would force a decline in Ronaldo’s career
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at a French magazine’s claim that there are only two players who are good enough to play for Real Madrid and his rival Lionel Messi is clearly not one of them.
France Football magazine said in its issue of Thursday’s edition that it was in talks with Madrid about Ronaldo moving to Barcelona once his contract expires next summer but that a deal was off unless he joined the club’s arch-rivals Barcelona.
Ronaldo has been linked with a move to the Catalan club in recent months. He is keen to return to Spain after ending his six-year stay with Manchester United in the summer of 2015.
However, his agent, Jorge Mendes, hit back at the magazine. He wrote on Twitter: “Please do not compare Messi with anyone. There are always four others. All players should play in the top club. There is no situation to interfere with.”
Ronaldo has won eight league titles in Spain, five in England and one in Italy with Real. Messi has won four of his four titles in Spain, one in England and one in Italy.
Madrid won the Champions League in 2014 and 2016 while Barcelona won in 2015 and 2016.
There are rumours Messi may not play for the Catalan club this season, though he recently returned to training after injury, and France Football admitted it may have misled readers.
It wrote: “The media must be allowed to say whatever they like. If France Football wants to make a new problem, well, that is their right.”