Cristiano Ronaldo Once Named the Quality He Wants From Lionel Messi

• Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted there is one Lionel Messi attribute he covets
• The veterans are widely regarded as the greatest players in football history
• The superstar pair have won a superb 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them

Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo once acknowledged that he would want Lionel Messi's left foot when discussing the Argentine icon's attributes.

The pair engaged in a Q&A session during the 2015 Ballon d'Or award ceremony, fielding a range of questions.

One particularly intriguing query focused on the qualities each of the veterans would choose to adopt from their counterpart if they could.

Messi commended Ronaldo and emphasised that the Real Madrid legend possessed numerous qualities that any player would aspire to attain.

In contrast, the Portuguese icon provided a more precise response, per GOAL:

"Messi's left foot isn't bad! Maybe the left foot. I'm not too bad using my left but maybe his is slightly better," he admitted.

Man United legend Ryan Giggs explains why Ronaldo is one of the 'greatest players ever

Football

Ronaldo's desire for Messi's left foot is quite understandable. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has registered a remarkable 444 left-footed goals in his illustrious career, as reported by Transfermarkt.

Many of these goals have been truly spectacular, with 116 of them sealing victories for his teams.

In contrast, the Al-Nassr superstar has tallied significantly fewer left-footed goals throughout his remarkable career, trailing by a massive 323 scores.

The five-time Ballon d'Or awardee has still etched his name as the all-time leading goal-scorer in both club and international football.

Messi names the only player 'on his level'

Meanwhile, the duo have been at the forefront of global football dominance, earning an impressive 12 Ballon d'Or awards between then (seven for the Argentine and five for the Portuguese).

However, as Sports Brief previously reported, when questioned about a player he deems on par with his own greatness, Messi named his GOAT rival Ronaldo as the only one on his level.

Video: Cristiano Ronaldo scores golazo with weaker foot as Al Nassr thump Al Raed

Football

Ronaldo lauds Messi among the greats

Sports Brief also reported that in his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo hailed Messi and Zinedine Zidane as two of the greatest he had witnessed.

The bombshell sit-down interview, which contributed to the Portuguese star's bitter split from Manchester United, also included a number of fascinating comments.