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Breaking News: Cristiano Ronaldo Reveals he might played alongside Messi as Teammates
Cristiano Ronaldo wore Real Madrid’s white like no one other. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined Los Merengues in 2009 after spending seven seasons at Manchester United. He spent the next few seasons in the Spanish capital, winning multiple titles, including two LaLiga championships and four Champions League trophies. He departed the club as its all-time record scorer, with 451 goals in 438 competitive appearances, to join Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2018. During his nine seasons in Madrid, Ronaldo’s El Clasico confrontations with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi helped establish a new age of football.
However, Ronaldo has now made a stunning revelation that he was close to joining Barcelona from Sporting Lisbon, before eventual move to the red half of Manchester in 2003.
Speaking to journalist Edu Aguirre on El Chiringuito de Jugones, Ronaldo revealed that he was initially scouted by Barcelona, before he eventually chose to join Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
“Yes, it was when I was playing at Sporting Lisbon and I had the opportunity to join various clubs, one of which was Barcelona,” Ronaldo told Aguirre, who is a close friend of the Portugues icon.
“I remember being with a person from Barcelona who wanted to sign me, but it didn’t happen. Maybe they wanted to bring me in, but it would have been for the following year. Then, a club like (Manchester United) came along and signed me immediately. You know how fast everything moves in football,” he added.
Given Real Madrid’s longstanding rivalry with Barcelona, Ronaldo joining the Catalan giants appears improbable. Had he chosen a different career path, he may have played with Messi in the Blaugrana colours.
For the uninitiated, Ronaldo was also approached by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who acknowledged that not being able to sign the Portugal captain was his worst regret in management.
