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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or rivalry has captivated the football world for over a decade.
While Messi holds the upper hand with eight awards to Ronaldo's five, former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique offers a unique perspective on Messi's mindset during this period.
Pique, who shared the pitch with Messi at Barcelona and Ronaldo at Manchester United, sheds light on the Argentine maestro's approach to the competition.
According to Pique, Messi wasn't consumed by a desire to outdo Ronaldo.
"He wasn't that type of guy," Pique told talkSPORT. "He was very team-focused, although he was getting all the first-page mentions in the newspapers, radio, and TV."
Pique emphasizes Messi's dedication to the collective good. "At the end of the day, he was very close with all of us and he was just focused on winning titles like the Champions League and these kinds of things."
Pique goes on to suggest that individual accolades, like the Ballon d'Or, weren't the driving force for Messi. "He was winning the Ballon d'Or but it wasn't something that was a priority for him."
This perspective from Pique, a teammate who witnessed Messi's drive firsthand, offers valuable insight. It suggests that Messi's focus was on team success and achieving greatness on the pitch, rather than being solely motivated by surpassing Ronaldo in individual awards.
