Regarded as one of the greatest wingbacks to ever grace the Premier League, former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole has recently made a confession that has left soccer fans puzzled.
Cole has been a part of a few interviews over the years where he was asked to name the most difficult opponent he has faced over his career. The last time he was asked to name that player who used to give him a difficult time on the pitch, he mentioned the name of Lionel Messi.
The former English international stated, “People talk about Ronaldo more because I played against him more. But I think to mark Messi, on his day… he was just too good for me. But, again, he’s never scored [against me].”
🚨Ashley Cole: Who has been your hardest Opponent in your career?
“My hardest opponent probably have to be, I’d say Ronaldo.”
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) November 29, 2023
Although Cole led fans to believe his hardest opponent was Messi, a recent viral clip across social media platforms shows Cole naming Cristiano Ronaldo instead as his hardest opponent ever. The clip shows that he’s being asked by a few reporters to name his hardest opponent. Cole replied, “My hardest opponent probably has to be, I’d say Ronaldo.”
During the conversation, Cole brought up the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match between England and Portugal. Unfortunately, England lost to Portugal in the penalty shoot-out, which was a tough pill for England fans to swallow. According to Cole, this was one of the most difficult matches where he faced off against Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, soccer fans weren’t ready for this clip. One fan reacted by saying, “Ashley Cole can’t make up his mind lol.” Another quipped, “Man splitted like a ballerina.” However, a lot of fans even made it clear that the clip was too old and Cole was yet to face Messi before that.
Ashley Cole’s teammate explains the difference between facing Cristiano Ronaldo & facing Lionel Messi
Ashley Cole’s former teammate John Obi-Mikel shared his unique perspective on the difference between facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Mikel was a part of the Vibe with the Five podcast where he mentioned the 2009 Champions League semi-final clash between Chelsea and Barcelona – a match etched in soccer history for its controversial refereeing decisions and Didier Drogba’s infamous “disgrace” comment. However, Mikel took the opportunity to delve into his memories of facing Lionel Messi on the pitch.
When asked by podcast host Rio Ferdinand to elaborate on Messi’s brilliance, Mikel didn’t hold back. Mikel drew a clear distinction between facing Messi and Ronaldo, stating that Chelsea had confidence in handling Ronaldo during their matches against Manchester United. However, facing Messi presented an entirely different challenge.
John Obi Mikel on who he prefers between Messi Ronaldo:
”Messi all day. For me, he is from a different planet.
”I’m grateful to have been able to play with him, from U20s we started playing against each other, played against him so many times.” pic.twitter.com/tM8egGqK2c
— Ayodeji Ayodeji (@AyodejiX2) June 20, 2019
Mikel stated, “When we (Chelsea) played against (Manchester) United, yeah, and when Cristiano (Ronaldo) was there. We knew that, okay, Ash (Ashley Cole) will deal with him; he is capable of dealing with him.”
“But every time it was against Barcelona, oh my god, training the whole week was about Messi. We have to have two, three players with him; you can’t defend 1v1 against Messi; it’s impossible. Once that ball gets to him, the movement, everybody’s running, everybody’s moving,” he added.
However, as Mikel spent the majority of his career playing in the Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo has given him some difficult times that are well-known to soccer fans.