Lionel Messi aims thinly-veiled dig at rival Cristiano Ronaldo as unwanted record grows
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to lift a trophy with Al-Nassr since joining the Saudi Pro League club two years ago, while Lionel Messi has been prolific with Inter Miami over in the MLS
Lionel Messi's eye-opening comments seemingly appear to take a dig at long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo - who has extended his trophy drought at Al-Nassr.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner - whose trophy cabinet boasts 36 titles and counting - has yet to win silverware since arriving in Saudi Arabia back in 2023. The Manchester United and Real Madrid icon, who once dominated Europe, remains without a single (major) title in the Middle East, and that wait looks set to continue following Al-Nassr's frustrating elimination from the Saudi King's Cup.
Al-Nassr lost 2-1 to Al-Ittihad, with Ronaldo's former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema - and Houssem Aouar - scoring for the visitors. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes, while teammate Angelo Gabriel netted the only goal for the hosts.
Since Ronaldo's arrival in Riyadh, Al-Nassr have competed in 13 competitions - including three league campaigns, four domestic cups, two AFC Champions League runs, and four Super Cups - but have failed to win anything. His only silverware came in the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, which is considered a friendly tournament.
Meanwhile, Messi has enjoyed a far more fruitful spell in the United States. Indeed, during his two years at Inter Miami, he has won five trophies, including the Leagues Cup 2023 and Supporters' Shield.
Speaking to American broadcaster NBC, he criticised some players' obsession with breaking records; a comment that could be interpreted as a dig at Ronaldo. "Many players become obsessed with individual records - and they end up forgetting the main objective - which is the team's success and winning competitions," he said.
"[It's] To break records, the team must first achieve victories." Messi and Ronaldo have been long-time rivals, best known for their battles at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The Portuguese legend is, meanwhile, targeting 1,000 career goals for club and country, having scored 950 so far. Following his latest cup heartbreak, Ronaldo took to Instagram and wrote: "We stand tall, learn and move forward together."
After the defeat, manager Jorge Jesus said: "We won two matches and lost one against Al-Ittihad. It was our first defeat this season, and we're not used to that.
"We did everything we could to avoid losing, but we didn't succeed."
Al-Nassr are back in Saudi Pro League action on Saturday, hosting Al Feiha at the Al-Awwal Park. Under their new manager, they are showing signs of resurgence; the team have won six out of six matches and currently sit top of the league with a maximum 18 points.
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