Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are undeniably soccer’s two biggest stars. For many fans of the beautiful game, there’s no compromise — you’re either Team Messi or Team Ronaldo; simply acknowledging both of them as otherworldly talents who are blessings to spectators everywhere is all but impossible.
The two megastars are rivals on the pitch, too; Messi plays for controversy-shrouded FC Barcelona, while Ronaldo plays for its sworn enemy, Real Madrid.
That context is what makes the YouTube video embedded above so ever-loving awesome. It comes from Monday’s Ballon d’Or gala, an annual fête thrown by soccer’s odious governing body FIFA to honor the year’s best players, goals, coaches and more.
In the clip, we see Ronaldo point out Messi to his young son, Cristiano Jr., according toESPNFC. Messi warmly greets the boy with a pat on the head and asks him how he’s doing, according to a translation from La Marca.
“He watches a video online, of all of us, and he talks about you,” Ronaldo then tells Messi from afar.
But Cristiano Jr. seems too awestruck to respond. “And now you’ve gone shy?” Messi jokes before the boy returns to his father.
It’s a short, grainy clip — but truly a beautiful moment from the beautiful game.
Also at Monday’s ceremony, Ronaldo beat out Messi for his second consecutive Ballon d’Or win. Messi won it the previous four years.
– Mashable
