06/20/2026
DIEGO GODÍN: “Who’s harder to mark between Messi and Cristiano? For me, Messi. We’re from the same generation, I spent my whole career in Europe, and I had the bad luck of facing both of them.”
“They took several titles away from us at Atlético Madrid. Messi is talent with space, without space, the way he can turn. That ability to get past a player. His vision of the game. He’s different, he’s just different.
Sometimes you can’t even catch him. And there was a time when you’d hit him and he wouldn’t fall. We’d go after him. He’d fall, get up. And he wouldn’t get angry. He only got upset if you went in dirty.”
“They’re two guys who scored 50 goals per season. All defenders would say, how are we going to mark them? It’s true that with Ronaldo, if you stick to him closely and don’t let him get that momentum or reach the box, it’s a bit harder for him.”
“Messi found ways because he moved all over the pitch, between the lines, making passes. He could get past a player on the left or on the right.”
