'A monster and the father of the monster': Guardiola gives Messi and Ronaldo Ballon d'Or verdict

Pep Guardiola has underlined his belief in Lionel Messi's superiority to his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi played under Guardiola at Barcelona during a defining period of his early career between 2008 and 2012, winning several honours including three La Liga titles and two Uefa Champions Leagues.

It was a particularly tempestuous period in the Barcalona-Real Madrid rivalry, with Ronaldo accomplishing similarly record-smashing feats on the other side of the Clasico divide.

Between 2008 and 2023, Ronaldo and Messi won 13 of the 15 Ballons d'Or on offer, with only Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) puncturing their duopoly.

MORE: All the latest soccer action | Lionel Messi news | Cristiano Ronaldo news 

Manchester City midfielder Rodri lifted the prize for 2024 on Monday night in Paris, winning on a shortlist lacking both Messi and Ronaldo for the first time since 2003.

If that marks the end of an era, it could mean the start of another for Spanish football. Rodri was the country's first winner of the men's trophy since Luis Suarez in 1960, while Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati extended Spain's run to four consecutive wins in the Ballion d'Or Feminin.

Guardiola believes Xavi and Andres Iniesta would have been worthy winners during their Barcelona pomp – but Messi and Ronaldo had other ideas.

Guardiola: Messi was the father of the monster

"Spanish football, the influence in the world in the last 10 or 15 years has been massively important," the City manager said. "Not just winning trophies, [but] the way they play. Generations of managers and players.

"In that time I remember when three players from the academy in Barcelona were nominated, all three to win the Ballon d'Or. Xavi and Iniesta could not win because there was a monster: Messi. Nobody could beat him.

"Just Cristiano. Cristiano was a monster and the father of the monster was Messi. Both have done something incredible in the last 15 to 20 years. Maybe in that moment Xavi and Iniesta deserved it as well.

"Rodri yesterday got what Spanish football deserves worldwide."

Lionel Messi all-time Ballon d'Or finishes

Eight-time winner Messi  was nominated 16 times from 2006 until 2023. The trophy was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and two years later he missed the cut

*In 2020, the Ballon d'Or was was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

**Lionel Messi did not feature on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist in 2022 and 2024.

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Cristiano Ronaldo all-time Ballon d'Or finishes

A five-time winner of the award, Ronaldo was nominated every year from 2004 until 2023, with the exception of when the trophy was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

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