Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi share the El Clasico record for the most number of appearances. Both players have played 45 El Clasicos, and are legends of Spanish league football in their own regard.
While Lionel Messi has gone on to become arguably the best player in the world, Sergio Ramos has made a name for himself as a defensive monster. The Spaniard led Real Madrid to three back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles amidst a number of other trophies.
The two players have faced each other on countless occasions and have shared a fascinating rivalry over the years. In the many remarkable El Clasico encounters, both players have tussled multiple times on the pitch and been involved in several verbal spats as well.
Ramos has now left Real Madrid to join French giants Paris Saint-Germain. The Spanish defender saw his contract expire in the Spanish capital and failed to reach an agreement over a new deal with Los Blancos.
PSG swooped in to pick up the veteran defender on a free transfer, bringing an end to the fierce rivalry between Ramos and Messi. However, in an honest interview, Ramos revealed that despite igniting years of rivalry, he has nothing but respect for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Speaking on Lionel Messi, the 35-year-old defender told TNT Sports:
“I like to play with the best players and Messi has been one of the best in the world. I have always said that Messi will always have a role in my team.”
What does Sergio Ramos think of Neymar?
At PSG, Ramos has joined another old rival in Neymar. The Brazilian maverick dazzled at the Nou Camp before joining PSG in the summer of 2017. Ramos has now revealed that he is friends with Neymar and the duo have maintained contact over the years. He said:
“I have had a very good relationship with Ney for many years. Although he played for Barcelona and I played for Real Madrid, in all these years we were always in contact.”
Sergio Ramos has now revealed that Neymar played an important role in helping him move to PSG. The World Cup winner said that Neymar encouraged him to take up the Paris project. Ramos said:
“This forged a relationship that, of course, ended with messages. The message was to cheer me up for coming to Paris and of course I’m glad the people on the team encouraged me to make a decision like that.”
With the new season just weeks away, Sergio Ramos will be keen to play his best football to prove a point to his old club, Real Madrid.