The Bianconeri forward warned the Portugal star that he is unpopular in his home nation.
Paulo Dybala claims he informed Juventus teammate Cristiano Ronaldo that he is not well-liked in Argentina because Lionel Messi’s hometown “hates” the Portuguese star.
Messi and Ronaldo’s sporting rivalry has cemented their standing as two of the best players of all time.
Clashes between Messi’s Barcelona and Ronaldo’s Real Madrid have been among the most anticipated and praised in football history, with both players appearing to up their game in an attempt to outperform the other.
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Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018, putting a stop to the on-field rivalry in La Liga, but the debate over who is the greater player remains.
Argentina international Dybala, now a teammate of Ronaldo in Turin, revealed to the Portuguese star that his country has no affection for him, even if he has since discovered that the forward is a guy worthy of appreciation.
“I told him, ‘Cristiano, we hate you a little bit in Argentina because of your figure, because of how you are, because of how you walk.’” “The truth is that you’ve surprised me because you’re different,” Dybala stated in an interview with the Argentine Football Association.
Dybala is one of the few talents to have played alongside both Ronaldo and Messi, providing the forward a unique perspective on two of the game’s all-time greats.
However, the Juventus star drew criticism last year when he stated that he found it tough to play beside Messi in Argentina due to their positions being so similar.
Dybala claims he has subsequently discussed strategies with Messi as the two try to figure out how they fit together positionally.
“I never intended to criticize a teammate; I just wanted to improve something that was going on,” Dybala explained.
“I discussed it with Leo because we’re tactically very similar.”
“I didn’t get many minutes in the World Cup or Copa America, but I always respected the coaches’ decisions because Argentina is very prestigious.”
Dybala was recently diagnosed with coronavirus and admitted to being “scared” in the days following his positive test.
