Lionel Messi says he was hurt when Ronaldo equaled 5 Ballon d’Or awards

Lionel Messi says he was hurt when Ronaldo equaled 5 Ballon d’Or awards

- Lionel Messi did not hide his feelings about Cristiano Ronaldo equaling his Ballon D'Or awards

- The 32-year-old moved one step ahead of his fiercest rival after winning the 2019 edition

- Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all made the top five

Lionel Messi has finally opened up that he was hurt when his rival Cristiano Ronaldo leveled his five Ballon D'Or awards in 2017.

The Barcelona talisman beat Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk and Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo to second and third respectively to win the award in 2019.

And the 32-year-old has now got one better off his closest rival after scooping his sixth accolade since 2015.

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“On the one hand, I enjoyed having five and being the only one,” Messi told France Football .

“When Cristiano moved level, I admit that it hurt me a bit. I was no longer alone at the top. But it made sense, although it was good when I was alone at five.

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“Was I frustrated in the last few years? Let's say I understood why I did not win.

“When Cristiano Ronaldo won it is because he had achieved great seasons by winning the Champions League and being decisive. It was deserved, there was not much I could do.

“It is also down to individual taste. Some prefer Cristiano, others myself or Neymar or [Kylian] Mbappe. People have the right to choose the one they like most.”

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Lionel Messi's sons Thiago and Mateo stole the show when their father was announced as the winner of the 2019 Ballon D'Or award.

The Barcelona star scooped his sixth award beating Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk and his fiercest rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Source: Legit.ng

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