Cristiano Ronaldo’s former Juventus teammate once said that he “hated” the Portuguese star after growing up watching Lionel Messi.
A select group of players have had the privilege of playing alongside both Ronaldo and Messi, including Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Fernando Gago, Deco and Gabriel Heinze.
Paulo Dybala is also one of the few people to have played side by side with two of the greatest players of all time, both at club and international level.
The Argentinian forward spent three years playing with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
And in an interview, Dybala once revealed a conversation he had with Ronaldo during a flight to an away game.
The 31-year-old, who now plays for Serie A team AS Roma, told the Portuguese he “hated” him because of the “big rivalry” between him and Messi in Argentina.
“I spent three good years with Cristiano, the team was very strong and he added something more,” he said. football italia,
“There’s a big rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo in Argentina. Once, we were going out to the game, I was sitting at the back of the plane and he was a little ahead.”
Dybala continued: “At some point, he came to me, we talked for a while about life in general, and I said to him: ‘As a child, I practically hated you. ‘ We laughed about it and we’ve always had a good relationship.”
Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo embrace during a league match for Juventus. Image: Getty
Dybala and Ronaldo won two Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia during their time at Juve.
And of course, he won the World Cup with Messi, meaning he has enjoyed success alongside two of the greatest players to ever play the beautiful game.
Earlier this year, Dybala added a surprise when asked to name the three best players he has ever shared the pitch with.
Having made 450 club appearances throughout his career, the former Palermo man mentioned fellow Argentine Gonzalo Higuain on his list.
“Messi, Ronaldo and [Gonzalo] Higuain is my three favorite team-mates in the world of football,” Dybala told Al Arabi Al Jadeed, as quoted transfer market,
“Ronaldo, he is a champion. It was amazing to play with him at Juventus. I learned from him about dedication to one’s profession and the will to win, despite everything I had already achieved. I am not surprised that he is doing well in Arabia also.
Dybala said: “Although my dream since I was a kid was to play with Messi… he is already a constant inspiration. Sharing the World Cup win with him is something I will never forget.”