In a recent interview with the Spanish program El Hormiguero, the former Villarreal and Atletico Madrid star confidently shared his answer, providing an intriguing explanation for why he believes Messi is the greatest of all time.
Weighing in on sport’s biggest debate, Rodri candidly said: “Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, without any doubt. Cristiano has managed to match Messi without innate talent. But those of us who have played against them can see the difference.
He added: “When Messi got the ball, you’d think: ‘Oh, danger’. When I first started playing against him, I tried to take the ball from him, and he dodged you as if you were a bull in the ring. The feeling I had was that something bad was about to happen.”
Rodri’s remarkable Ballon d’Or triumph will be honoured in style at the Etihad Stadium before Manchester City’s upcoming clash with Tottenham on Saturday.

The midfielder will receive a standing ovation from fans as he makes his return to Manchester, having spent the last two months in Spain recovering from an ACL surgery.

