Marcelo lavished praise on Messi: «He was unbelievable» | OneFootball

Marcelo is, without a doubt, a standout figure in Real Madrid’s history. The former left-back boasts the incredible tally of 25 titles with Los Blancos, making him the most decorated player in the club’s history. Despite that, in an interview on Romario’s personal channel, he made it very clear that he has a soft spot for Lionel Messi, whom he placed above Cristiano Ronaldo himself: “It was madness. He’s an animal. I’m still looking for him to this day.”

“When the ball comes, he already knows where he has to move, what to do, when to break, and all that. To me, it’s insane,” the Brazilian explained when answering which player was the toughest he ever had to face. He also admitted that “those of us who played in the era of both of them have to be grateful for that.” The Rio de Janeiro native played 333 official matches alongside the Portuguese star, with whom he won four Champions League titles.

Lastly, Marcelo ended with a clear stance on one of the greatest rivalries in sports history: “I think it’s important to say it because a lot of people comment, ‘ah, but Cristiano…,’ ‘but Messi….’ No: we saw them, we’re still watching them. It’s something to enjoy.”

During the Rio de Janeiro native’s time at Real Madrid (2007–2021), he faced the current Inter Miami player 45 times. The head-to-head record in that span shows a slight edge for Barcelona: 19 wins for the Blaugrana, 11 draws, and 15 victories for the Madrid side.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.