Messi and Ronaldo
Football draws and awards nights can often be dreary affairs, full of stilted speeches and goal montages.
But when you get two of the greatest players ever? Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ? agreeing to break bread over dinner and a philosophical monologue from Eric Cantona, it turns into an entirely different occasion.
There were clear pangs of absence making the heart grow fonder between Juventus forward Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Messi as they shared jokes and laughs sat next to each other.
It was almost difficult to imagine that the two were such great rivals during Ronaldo’s nine years at Real Madrid and in the last decade of Ballon d’Or voting for the world’s greatest player.
“We have shared the stage 15 years. I don’t know if that’s happened before – the same two guys on the same stage all the time,” Ronaldo said.
“Of course, we have a good relationship. We haven’t had dinner together yet, but I hope in the future.
“We had that battle in Spain. I pushed him and he pushed me as well. So it’s good to be part of the history of football.”
With touching shows of affection like this, who would dare suggest that the pair do not get on?