Cristiano Ronaldo's former coach explains impact of Lionel Messi rivalry

Cristiano Ronaldo's sporting rivalry with Lionel Messi is arguably the most iconic competition between two elite players that football has ever produced.

The two superstars had swiftly ascended to stardom in the opening seasons of their career, but their rivalry went into overdrive when they spearheaded Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. The duo were two of the greatest players ever to step onto a pitch, and they led two of modern football's greatest sides.

Ronaldo's nine years at Los Blancos saw him obliterate the club's goal scoring record with a scarcely believable 450 goals in just 438 appearances, before leaving for Juventus in 2018. Messi's 672 goals across 16 Barca matches was not just the club's highest ever goal tally, but more than tallies of the second highest, third highest and fourth highest combined.

Aitor Karanka – currently a LaLigaTV analyst and UEFA technical analyst – coached Ronaldo at Real Madrid across his three years as assistant to Jose Mourinho. Between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese superstar netted 168 goals – a staggering average of 56 per campaign, with Karanka explaining to Mirror Football how the rivalry with the equally prolific Messi fuelled the star.

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to have worked with Cristiano. He is a proper professional and a leader – but not one who is always shouting, but he shows he is a leader with his work ethic,” Karanka claimed. “He is the first player at the training ground and the last player to leave. He always is driven to win and to score goals.

“When I was at Real Madrid, the Ronaldo-Messi competition and the Madrid-Barca rivalry made us better as a team and as individuals. Every match between the two teams was such a big challenge for everyone. It is fantastic to see him still playing for Manchester United as a proper leader – he will look for the ball and play as a striker, but when the team has difficulties he is always there.”

Messi and Ronaldo were direct rivals in El Clasico for nine years

The first meeting between Ronaldo and Messi when Mourinho and Karanka formed the coaching partnership at Real Madrid, the side were humbled 5-0 in the November 2011 El Clasico. Karanka has opened up on the “pain” that came in the aftermath of that match, but insisted that was the moment that drove on Ronaldo and the club to hit new heights and match Barca.

“It was painful but it was a wake-up call for us that we needed,” added the former central defender. “We had signed a lot of young players – such as Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira – and they did not have the experience that Barcelona players – a lot of them had just won the World Cup.

“I remember seeing Cristiano Ronaldo before games and how focused he was to score goals and to win games, to be better and to eclipse Lionel Messi. That was the competition that made us improve.”

Messi and Ronaldo regularly caught up at awards ceremonies - with the two always competing for the top prizes ( Image: Harold Cunningham - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

In the 2011-12 campaign when Madrid won the league title by breaking multiple records including 100 points in a single season, a record 121 goals scored and goal difference of +89, a record 16 away wins and 32 overall wins. That year, Ronaldo bagged 60 goals in 55 appearances.