During a broadcast he participated in, Henry discussed Messi with Ferdinand and noted that he had always wondered why people constantly compared Messi and Ronaldo. He argued that everyone should simply appreciate them, since everyone would be sad when both retired.

Ferdinand: When you work alongside a player like Messi, do teammates and you approach things differently? Let me give you an example: When Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or in his season at Manchester United, we could give him a free role because we knew he could make a huge difference for the team when he got the ball and lead us to victory. Was it the same with Messi at Barcelona?

Henry: Messi has shown us his ability—it's no joke. You see how he performs in training, how he takes care of his body. One thing that bothers me: people always talk about how great he is. What more can we say?

Ferdinand: What do you mean?

Henry: Have you seen his physique? He looks incredibly strong, and that's what I want to emphasize. People always talk about talent and hard work, and he really does train extremely hard. He sees football as his life, which is why he's so good—he's obsessed with football. When you walk into the dressing room and see a guy who can score four goals in a half, you fight hardest for him. Yes, you can help me win, so of course I'll give my best for you. If you're not the one who can decide the outcome of the match, I won't give my best for you.

Ferdinand: We've seen many strikers who were exceptional goal scorers for years. They're obsessed with data—goals, assists, all sorts of statistics. But I've never heard Messi talk about it. Yet it's impossible to score so many goals and remain consistently efficient without caring about data and statistics. Does he pay attention to it?

Henry: Exactly. He doesn't talk about these things; he lets his left foot do the talking. You'll never hear Messi say he's the best—never. It's like with free kick practice. I think it was my second year at Barcelona, and he was practicing free kicks. Back then, his free kicks weren't great, just like most people when they start practicing. So I thought back then that he might never master this technique (laughs). Obviously I'm joking, but my point is that even for the best, repeated practice is key. That's something many people don't understand. Yes, he has talent, but you have to work hard. This guy trains day in and day out, and even now, most of those free kicks either get saved by the goalkeeper, go in, hit the crossbar, or hit the post. Because everyone talks about free kicks—how often he hits the target, how many he scores, how many he takes. That's what you need to reach the highest level.

That's why, for me, players like him and Ronaldo have something beyond just football; their performances can't be quantified. The reason they can maintain such a high level is because they work in their own way. That's why I sometimes wonder, when people ask me who's the best or not, why do we try to compare two great players? Let's just appreciate them. Because when they retire, we'll all be sad. Ronaldo needs Messi, and Messi needs Ronaldo.

Ferdinand: I completely agree. I think all great athletes, regardless of sport—whether it's tennis, F1, or anything else—need another great athlete. That's for sure. You often see Ronaldo letting his emotions out, right? You spent a long time with Messi. Do you get that feeling from him?

Henry: Of course. Even without being close to him, his aura is very strong. He just wants to do his own thing, and after he scores four goals, he's already thinking about the fifth, the sixth...

Ferdinand: If he doesn't score, does he get angry in the dressing room?

Henry: Yes, he gets angry, even when he does score. I always wonder why people find faults so quickly and want to talk about them. I previously interacted with Bruno Fernandes on the show, and I saw how Bruno pushed back against others when he won. It's the same with Messi and Ronaldo. These people think differently and act differently. Always striving for perfection is impossible—that's what they aim for. If you don't understand what's happening, I always say: don't try to understand a genius, just enjoy it.

Übersetzt von KI.

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