Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has shared insights facing two of football’s greatest, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
While Ronaldo hailed Cole as his toughest opponent, Cole admitted Messi posed greater challenge, despite never scoring against him.
“People talk about Ronaldo more because I played against him more.
“But to mark Messi, on his day… he was just too good for me. But, again, he’s never scored [against me],” Cole said in a recent talk on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football,
His encounters with Ronaldo were frequent and legendary, spanning 14 matches.
Ronaldo, a fine dribbler during his time in the Premier League, often tested defenders to their limits.
“He does not give you a second to breathe,” Ronaldo said in a 2016 interview with Coach Mag, acknowledging Cole’s fierce defensive style.
Despite Ronaldo’s praise, Cole’s battles with Messi left a lasting impression on him.
Messi and Cole faced each other five times in the Champions League, with Messi failing to score in any of those encounters.
“Chelsea and Barcelona had some epic matches, and stopping Messi was always a highlight,” Cole noted.
Cole’s defensive strength earned him a reputation as one of the best left-backs in English football.
He won seven FA Cups, three Premier League titles, and a Champions League trophy with Chelsea, before he left Stamford Bridge.
Now retired, Cole has transitioned into coaching, working alongside Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard at Derby and Everton, respectively.
Meanwhile, Messi continues to excel with Inter Miami in MLS, and Ronaldo remains top of his game with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
