"I don't prefer one over the other" - Habib on the Messi and Ronaldo rivalry

**"I don't put one above the other" - Khabib on the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry**

Former UFC lightweight champion, Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov, has expressed his opinion on the unique qualities of Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo of Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr club.

According to Khabib, "God gifted Cristiano Ronaldo with athleticism and the ability to maintain a high level of physical fitness. Many athletes lose this quality. There are many talented and physically strong players, but most of them are lazy. Ronaldo has it all: athleticism, talent, hard work, etc."

The Dagestan athlete specifically touched on Ronaldo's career at Manchester United and Real Madrid: "He shone at Sporting, then he moved to Manchester. It's not easy to leave a mark there. Their success in 2008 was incredible. Then he went to Real Madrid, which was considered an even stronger club. Five years at Manchester United, nine years at Real Madrid - he competed under enormous pressure for almost 15 years for the two greatest teams in the history of football. He became the best player at both clubs. It's very difficult to achieve that. Cristiano has been playing at the highest level for 22 or 23 years. Now he's close to scoring 1,000 goals. Will Messi reach that number? That's an open question."

Habib also spoke about the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi: "I'm a Real Madrid fan, but that doesn't mean I'm denying Messi's achievements. I don't prefer one over the other. Would Messi be the Messi we know if Ronaldo wasn't there? Or vice versa? These are serious questions. I'm sure they pushed each other to be better. They both deserve a lot of respect," said the former UFC champion.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his condolences to Lionel Messi, who posted a post on the occasion of the death of his father.