00:00 Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo successfully dominated European football for around 15
00:08 years.
00:09 They spent nine seasons in the prime of their careers, facing off regularly while playing
00:13 for rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.
00:17 They are the only two players to score over 800 goals each in their careers for club and
00:21 country.
00:22 So, as the tides have changed on their careers with moves to the US and Saudi Arabia respectively,
00:29 how much of an impact have they had so far?
00:32 Controversially, I think it's actually been quite good moves now in hindsight.
00:36 I think everyone was gutted to see them leave Europe and go on to different adventures,
00:40 but they've had such a mark in Europe for so many years that they're just trying to
00:44 build their global fan base even more and they're making impacts and inspiring generations
00:48 of other countries that may not have as much talent.
00:52 The US, Saudi Arabia, they're not exactly countries you talk about with amazing players,
00:57 so maybe next generations can be inspired.
00:59 I think that's important.
01:00 There's so much to unpick from it all, more than just the football, I think really from
01:05 it.
01:06 I think that, I mean, if I'm totally honest, my first thought is, particularly with Messi,
01:11 I still think it's a bit of a shame that he's not playing in Europe at the very highest
01:15 level.
01:16 I think Messi in particular has still got a lot to offer.
01:18 You know, there's only a couple of, you know, it's only last year that we were talking about
01:21 him winning the World Cup and still being perhaps the greatest player on the planet.
01:25 To see him in America, I mean, to be honest, just to see how easy it is for him.
01:30 Since Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia, the nation's grasp on football has tightened.
01:36 Following CR7 has been Neymar, Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez, to name a
01:42 few.
01:43 So did these players see Ronaldo laying the groundwork for these moves or was it just
01:47 the hundreds of millions on offer?
01:51 Ronaldo as well is not just inspiring next generations, but the current.
01:55 The players may be dwindling towards the end of their careers and even those towards the
01:58 start of making the move.
01:59 Some huge names so far and it will only continue, I think, going forward.
02:04 Also, the top scorer and top assister in Saudi football at the moment, Ronaldo, making such
02:08 an impact even at his age.
02:10 I think in terms of Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, I don't necessarily see it as players followed
02:15 him.
02:16 I mean, it's obviously a huge, you know, advertisement tool, I suppose, for Saudi Arabia, the fact
02:20 that he did come, you know, arguably the greatest player ever.
02:23 Certainly, I certainly think the most famous footballer on the planet in Ronaldo would
02:27 say that he managed to come and, you know, certainly he's not going to put players off,
02:32 but you know, I think players would have gone there regardless of Ronaldo's transfer and
02:36 just purely the amount of money they've been offered, to be brutally honest.
02:40 And obviously the Saudi Arabia plan is very multi-layered and there's a lot going on in
02:45 it.
02:46 But it didn't just end, it didn't just kind of start because Ronaldo coming, there was
02:50 a lot more to it than that.
02:53 Without doubt two of the greatest in the history of the game, with both making an incredible
02:58 impact on the countries they've moved to, both on and off the pitch.
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