Remember the time Cristiano Ronaldo raced a Bugatti Veyron for a Nike commercial? That commercial sits well in the memory for most football fans as it was as innovative as it was outrageous. And as greatness can be achieved by pushing yourself to the limit, both Ronaldo and Bugatti have taken themselves to newer levels since that advert was made.
Rumors have come out recently suggesting that Ronaldo is now the owner of the one-of-its-kind Bugatti La Voiture Noire, the most expensive car ever made.
Literally translating to “The Black Car”, Cristiano is rumored to have shelled out more than 18 million dollars for the supercar. The features of the car are mind-boggling, and it’s fair to say that it warrants the heavy price tag. It would be a prized asset and one worthy of Ronaldo’s ownership if the rumors are indeed true.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly bought the most expensive car ever, Bugatti La Voiture Noire [$12m]. There's only one model of this car and it finally seems to have an owner. He can drive it from 2021. pic.twitter.com/xtIiEolUf3
— TeamCRonaldo Fans (@TeamCRonaldo) May 1, 2019
But what the rumored purchase does bring to the fore, is contrasting situations between two of the greats of the modern game, Messi and Ronaldo. Back when Cristiano and Messi were going head-to-head against each other in La Liga, the world stood aside, amazed at the epic rivalry that was on show.
Laden with goals, assists, powerful performances, club trophies, individual honors and a universe of emotions, we doubted if we would ever come across another such battle of the greats, to be the greatest.
And while the two entertained us in the 9 years they shared in Spain, Ronaldo looked to move on as he joined Juventus at the start of the 2018 season. Having aged like a fine wine and still being impactful as ever, the rivalry still lingers as Messi and Ronaldo still push their limits to the extreme.
But currently, they two live in slightly different scenarios. While Messi spearheaded a dominant display against Manchester United that saw them cruise to the semi-finals of the CL, Ronaldo’s two goals over two legs weren’t enough to see off Ajax, as the Dutch side progressed 3-2 on aggregate.
Contrastingly now, Ronaldo appears to have afforded another luxury in the form of Bugatti’s unique supercar, while Lionel Messi is rallying his troops for a blockbuster clash with Liverpool.
And while their European fortunes may have changed over the past few weeks, these two still remain the two of the best in the world. The only difference is that one of them owns a Bugatti La Voiture Noire.